


For All to See

by devra, thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Episode Fix-it: s05e21 Meridian, Hurt/Comfort, Smarm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-17
Updated: 2006-03-17
Packaged: 2019-02-02 03:55:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 63,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12719163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devra/pseuds/devra, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: SG1 has encountered several situations in which they were misled to believe that various intricate deceptions were, in fact, reality? the Gamekeeper's planet, Hathor's base? What if one such deception turned out to be a little more... long term?





	For All to See

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

Chapter 1

With a sigh, the bone-weary general pushed himself away from the paper-strewn desk. The halls of the SGC, as well as his office, echoed with blaring klaxons. Looking at his watch, it registered that the klaxon sounding was announcing the arrival of SG4 after a standard meet-and-greet mission. The General descended the stairs as a man whose reason to stay in this position of command had been removed. Twelve months removed...twelve long months since his...since the flagship team of the SGC had walked up the ramp to the Stargate, entered the event horizon and disappeared off the face of this planet never to return.

The SG teams had searched for months. Hammond's standing orders, even now when teams were on a mission, were that an extra ear should be kept to the ground in the hopes that one inhabitant on one planet might have any idea regarding SG1's whereabouts. SG1's status had remained MIA for twelve months and in all likelihood would remain status quo until they were returned, dead or alive.

The General took his usual stance by the master-at-arms at the control panel.

"Sir?"

"Is there a problem, sergeant?"

"Well...no, sir...I mean yes, sir."

With a hint of irritation threatening to surface, the General commanded in a tight voice, "Care to clarify the problem, sergeant?"

The sergeant swallowed audibly. "It's SG1's code sir. Their last known, deactivated code."

Without hesitation, his heart hammering in his chest, Hammond made an instantaneous command decision. "Damn it...open the iris," he barked, followed immediately by an order to have a medical team on standby in the embarkation room. The General ran down the steps, two at a time, hoping against hope that the answer to the twelve-month question would be answered in the next few minutes.

The moment the iris opened, a single body was propelled through the event horizon and impacted the metal ramp with such force that General Hammond grimaced. After waiting a few seconds, he gave the stand down order to the SF soldiers occupying the gate room. The General made a few tentative steps toward the prone body and was joined by Dr. Fraiser, who had just entered.

"Dr. Jackson," he whispered. Dr. Fraiser touched his arm, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

The body lifted itself on all fours, face turned towards the shimmering gate, and balanced like a sprinter awaiting the gun's starting signal. General Hammond's stomach twisted as he realized that Dr. Jackson was contemplating throwing himself back into the event horizon, forgetting Major Carter's course in Stargate Travel 101...matter can only travel one way through the Stargate. Without a second thought, Hammond issued the command to close the iris.

Hammond and Fraiser exhaled a collective sigh as the iris shut and Dr. Jackson slowly pulled himself to a standing position. He stood before the gate in shock, shoulders slumped and head bent before the closed iris. The gate room took on an unearthly hush for a single moment in time, and then all hell broke loose.

Daniel took a step forward, pounding on the iris, as if willing it open. When it became apparent that his efforts were in vain, the young man issued forth a cry of such heartbreak and anguish that General Hammond feared for the good doctor's sanity as he continued to pound on the metal doorway.

General Hammond held up his hand to discourage Dr. Fraiser from accompanying him to Daniel. She paused and watched in distress as the General proceeded quietly up the ramp towards the man who, hopefully, held the answers to a year's worth of questions. Muttering incoherently, Daniel was unaware of the General until he touched his arm.

"Son."

Daniel turned around, fists raised in anger. General Hammond was aware of the echoing sounds as the SFs released the safeties of their weapons, now pointed in Daniel's direction.

"Stand down!" General Hammond ordered.

Daniel looked around, and for the first time, really saw the man standing before him. His eyes widened behind his glasses. "General Hammond?" Daniel glanced sideways at his raised fist, lowering it in embarrassment. "Earth...SGC...Cheyenne Mountain?"

"Yes son, you're home," Hammond replied gently, attempting to take Daniel's arm and lead him down the ramp to the waiting Dr. Fraiser. Daniel stood steadfast, refusing to be moved. He looked over his shoulder at the iris and then back at General Hammond.

In a movement too swift to counterattack, Daniel grabbed the General's arms. In a voice broken by emotion, he spewed a torrent of accusations. "Why the hell did you close the iris? Maybe they were behind me. We...I need to go back. Give the command to reinitialize the wormhole. Do you know what you are condemning them to?"

"Dr. Jac....Daniel," General Hammond snaked his hands around Daniel's until they were gently gripping his forearms. He issued a little shake, hopefully bringing the boy back to reality.

Daniel relinquished his hold on the General and sank to the ramp. "Too much time...SG1 thinks I've joined a higher plain and ascended with Oma Desala...they'll never come looking. I left them...and Jack let me go."

* * *

When the elevator door closed behind what was left of SG-1, Jack leaned up against the cold metal wall and closed his eyes.

"Sir?"

"Carter," he responded to the voice, without opening his eyes.

"Where are we going?"

"Up, Carter."

She rolled her eyes. "No, I mean for dinner. Where are we going for dinner?"

Jack opened his eyes and pushed away from the wall, running a hand through his hair as he went. He looked to Teal'c, who raised an eyebrow... no help there... and then to Carter who was just staring at him with a funny expression on her face.

"What?" he asked her, making his irritation more than obvious. She seemed unfazed by the harshness of his tone.

"Well, Colonel... I... Hell, I know you're not okay, so I'm not even gonna ask," Carter said gruffly, before turning and focusing her attention on the semi-reflective double doors. As she intently examined her own wobbly reflection, trying hard to ignore him, Jack sighed and banged his head a couple of times on the wall.

"Ah, Christ, can't this wait..." he mumbled to himself, hoping nobody else was listening. They were. Carter spun around abruptly and stared at him with an expression halfway between grief and fury.

"Wait?! How long *exactly* do you want to wait, sir? How long do you intend to pretend that everything's okay? *How long*? A week? A month? 'Till one of *us* dies too?" She was on the verge of shouting, now, as she motioned toward Teal'c and herself, trying to drive the point home.

"He's *not* dead!" he shouted, carefully enunciating each syllable, moving to hover over her.

"Well, he's not *here*! Sure as hell seems like the same thing, to me!" she shouted right back.

"Well, hell, Major. Why don't ya just drop the 'sir' and be honest!"

"Don't tempt me, *sir*!"

They were toe to toe, staring each other down. They didn't even notice that the elevator door was open.

"Major Carter. Colonel O'Neill," interjected Teal'c in a soft voice.

"What!" The two officers turned to him and shouted at the same time. Very calmly, the Jaffa motioned toward the assembling audience in the hall. Jack huffed loudly and stormed out of the elevator, followed closely by the Major. Teal'c sauntered into the hall with a very polite "please excuse us" and followed his friends to the parking garage.

O'Neill and Carter were each walking very briskly to their own cars. It seemed to Teal'c that dinner together was officially off. That's what *they* thought, anyway. A slight grin crossed his face as he decided that something had to be done.

"Major Carter," he boomed. It wasn't loud or harsh, but the abruptness of the sound and the echo in the garage made both Carter and O'Neill jump. "Please get into O'Neill's vehicle." O'Neill shot him a look that could very well kill as he unlocked the driver's door of his SUV. Teal'c walked up to the car and opened the back door. Dejectedly, Carter complied with his order and slumped into the back seat, crossing her arms.

Teal'c, himself, sat smugly in the front seat, knowing that he was receiving glares from his companions. O'Neill had not yet even started the car.

"I am hungry, O'Neill. I believe O'Malley's has the 'best steaks in town,'" he said, eyes still straight ahead. O'Neill nodded slightly and turned the key in the ignition, backed out of the space, and sped out of the mountain.

* * *

They sat in silence. The only words that had been spoken since arriving at the restaurant were their orders to the waitress. Carter and O'Neill sat quietly at the table, trying to avoid eye contact, sipping their drinks, whilst Teal'c sat with his hands folded, waiting for one of them to speak. This cold silence amongst friends, nay family, was trying even his legendary patience.

"Tell me your ages," Teal'c finally requested. O'Neill and Carter looked at him, puzzled.

"Uh... Teal'c... you already--," began Carter, only to be cut off.

"What are your ages?" he asked again, in a sterner, almost parental tone, which wasn't lost on his friends.

"Thirty-six," responded Carter quietly, eyes glued to her hands.

"Forty-eight," added O'Neill, who was closely examining his beer bottle.

"Amongst the Tau'ri, you are considered adults, yes?"

They nodded.

"So, why is it that you both insist upon acting like children?" Teal'c knew he had made his point when both of their heads perked up and they looked at each other cautiously. He leaned back in his chair, satisfied. Carter looked back down at her hands.

"I'm sorry," she whispered with the utmost sincerity. Receiving no response, she lifted her head to find the Colonel peeling the label from his bottle of beer. Getting the gut impression that he was, actually, listening to her, she continued. "I just... I'm... really having a hard time with this. I hate to sound needy and all, here, but I've *needed* you, sir. The only people who have even bothered to *try* and talk about it are Teal'c, Janet... hell, even the General. But you... you're just... I don't know... flying off in your own direction. I'm almost getting the feeling that you're as much *not here* as Daniel." She leaned back a bit, crossing her arms over her chest, as his head jerked up in surprise.

"Just where the *hell* do you get off laying all this on me? Where does it say *I'm* responsible for *your* emotional well being? I've got problems of my own, you know!" he whispered harshly, aware of the many other ears in the room. Carter blinked, but otherwise gave no outward sign of acknowledgement. Frankly, she was a little beyond caring about hurting his feelings.

"Oh, my heart bleeds!" Carter rasped, leaning forward and rolling her eyes in an exaggerated motion. "We used to be *friends*, Colonel. All of us. Or have you forgotten? After all that we've been through together. For each other... Just what the hell kind of friend do you think you are, now? Or have been, lately?"

"One that was trying to do the right goddamn thing for once!" Jack all but shouted, slamming his hands down on the table. Carter jumped and jerked back, her jaw dropping at her CO's sudden show of emotion. Jack shook his head and buried his face in his hands, then rested his forehead on one of his closed fists. He absently toyed with his napkin with his free hand.

Carter didn't know what to say. She'd been so angry with him for the last week or so for being so stoic and standoffish, for wanting to forge right back into the thick of things with that mission to help Heimdal and Thor. She'd wanted so badly to see him hurting, just so she would know she wasn't the only one.

She'd known, deep down, all along that he was feeling Daniel's loss as much as anyone, maybe even more, but she'd needed to *see* it. To share something. And now that she'd gotten what she wanted, she regretted it immediately, cursing herself for wishing this on a person she was supposed to care about and want the best for.

Silently, she looked to Teal'c, hoping he'd be willing to offer some guidance, but he shook his head. Apparently the wise Jaffa thought that this was strictly between her and O'Neill. Sam sighed, her body seeming to deflate in defeat as she did.

"*Please* talk to me, Jack," she said softly, leaning over the table to still the hand that continued to play with its already shredded napkin. His fingers froze and he lifted his head to look at her. He took a deep breath, then lowered his eyes again. It stung that he couldn't look her in the eyes for more than a moment.

"You know," Jack began softly, eyes still watching the table for any sudden moves. "When we first brought him back from that planet, before he started getting really bad... he was in the infirmary and I went to see him. He'd made poor Fraiser tell him in gory detail, everything that was going to happen to him before he died. For some reason, he felt he had to lay it all out for me, too. I don't know... I think I deserved it, what he was doing. I'm sure I deserved it. Because other than all those dandy mental images he managed to plant in my head with his little play-by-play, all I could think about was all the things I'd said to him over the last few months that I didn't really mean. I was a total ass, and I didn't even have a good reason to be. And, even when he was there, on his deathbed, I couldn't apologize. It was like some little part of me didn't really believe I'd done and said what I had. Like it wasn't really me, so *I* had nothing to apologize for.

"All I could say was that I fucking *admired* him. Hmph. He actually laughed at that one. Well, tried to, anyway. And I don't blame him, either. Talk about too little, too late." Jack pulled his hand away from Carter's and started fiddling with the wrapper on his now empty beer bottle again. Sam crossed her arms on top of the table and rested her chin on her forearm, waiting to see if the Colonel was finished. Never in a million years had she expected him to open up to her and Teal'c, but here he was, pouring his heart out, and she was damn well going to be there for him for as long as it took.

No one said a word as the waitress returned to refill Sam and Teal'c's glasses and plop another Bud Light down in front of the Colonel. They ignored her as she tried to reassure them that the food would be out in a few minutes, all three too wrapped up in their own private miseries at the moment. Only Teal'c managed a slight nod as she turned to walk away. She smiled shyly back, as though it would somehow make the big stranger in the fedora feel better.

Jack took a deep gulp of his beer, and Sam could almost feel him steeling himself to continue where he left off.

"So," he breathed, seeming to have gained some confidence in himself, or maybe a little extra trust in his friends. "If I couldn't apologize to him, I thought I could at least try and make it up to him. Maybe I could show him that I didn't hate him--,"

"Didn't *hate* him?" Carter interjected, surprise and worry etched in her face as she lifted her head. Jack shook his head in rejection of his previous statement.

"No, no. That I still *cared*. That I really was sorry. That I had a lot of regrets. I wanted to do right by him at least that one last time. God knows I didn't do anything else right." Sam lowered her chin back down to her arms, satisfied with his explanation. "So I defended him. Tried my damnedest to get that Jonas geek to see what Daniel was talking about. Tried to convince anyone out there who would listen that Daniel was an honorable man. A hero.

"And then Jonas came here to give us the Naquadriah. He said he told his superiors what really happened. I'd managed to make sure that at least one of those guys saw Daniel for the man he really was, and I thought that was it. I'd done everything I could. But I hadn't yet. When Jacob was trying to heal him and he came to me... he asked *me*... gave me another chance to do something right. To respect his wishes. I did what he asked me to do. One last brave act of friendship." Jack took another swig of beer and set the bottle down on the table.

"I just... I want you both to understand... and I think he would, too... This is what he wants. Wherever he is, it's where he wants to be. We just have to trust his decision. We owe him that."

* * *

Chapter 2

"Agh! I can't *be* here, General! I have to go back! You don't understand!" Daniel paced impatiently around the infirmary as Dr. Fraiser hovered over him.

The need to touch Daniel, to grant herself physical reassurance that the man pacing in her infirmary was really SG1's archeologist was becoming too much for Dr. Fraiser to bear. She glanced in the General's direction, knowing he was as tortured as she. Placing a hand gently on his forearm she was taken aback as Daniel turned anger visible on his face. "Not *now*! I don't...they don't have time for your prodding, and needles and scans." Dr. Fraiser glanced down as Daniel began to almost convulsively clench and unclench his hands his exasperation and frustration increasing exponentially. "*You need to..."

General Hammond stationed himself in the path of Daniel's kinetic pacing. "*You* need to let Dr. Fraiser check you out. *You* haven't been gone that long to think that the SOPs of SGC have changed. *You* know infirmary first and foremost, then we will debrief. *You* do remember that until Dr. Fraiser has cleared you medically, I do not want to see you upstairs. Understood?" General Hammond looked at Daniel and exhaled loudly. All of Daniel's nervous tics had halted and he had wrapped his arms around his body in a gesture of self protection...an idiosyncrasy of Dr. Jackson's that brought a tender smile to the General's face.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"I understand son..."

"Goddamn it sir, with all due respect, I don't think you *do* understand. I don't think anyone here could understand. *I* left them behind General. *I* left *all* of my team behind on that planet. With those people." The General could see that Dr. Jackson was working himself right back up to where they had been. Relying on years of military training, a look and one word, "*Enough*," the General was able to bring a halt to Daniel's ramblings. Pointing to an infirmary bed, he turned his back and departed the infirmary, leaving Dr. Jackson in the hands of SGC's chief medical officer.

* * *

Sam sighed and dropped her pen on her workbench before dragging her fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes, trying to banish the latent images pressed into her mind from staring at endless formulas and calculations for far too long. She laughed ruefully into her hands as she remembered that she'd brought this headache on herself. It was her answer to everything... she'd focus her mind on something so completely that everything else would just fade into the background. For awhile, anyway.

She'd just laid her head down on her arms for a moment, when she was startled into awareness by a quick rap on the doorframe of her lab. She had left the door open and when she heard the knock, her head shot up and she looked toward it.

"Uh, Major Carter? May I come in?"

"Jonas," she sighed, pushing a few stray wisps of hair from her forehead. She put on her best fake smile and stood up, gesturing him in. "Sure. What can I do for you, Jonas?"

Jonas Quinn smiled awkwardly as he crossed the threshold into her lab and tilted his head a bit as he thought of something to say. Sam took a deep, cleansing breath and allowed the intensity of her smile to fade a bit as she waited for his response. He wasn't really paying attention to her anyway.

"Well, Major," he finally said. Sam lifted her head expectantly. "I, uh... well, here," he said, holding out what looked to her like an old-fashioned film can. She gave him a puzzled look and he smiled again as she took it from him.

"What is it?" she asked, examining it as she headed back over to the workbench. Jonas shoved his hands into his pockets and followed her.

"Well, I guess you could say that the Naquadria wasn't the only thing I stole before leaving Kelona."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, distractedly, as she worked on prying the lid off the tin canister. As it popped open, she sat back down on her stool and looked over at Jonas briefly before examining the reel of film inside.

Jonas shrugged. "We kept very good records, Major, and the Naquadria research was extremely important to my country's government. Aside from extensive reports and detailed journals, the scientists on the project also recorded all of their experimentation sessions with the Naquadria and the bomb they were building."

"So, this is..."

"This," Jonas continued, gesturing toward the filmstrip, "Is the film from... it's the tape depicting the... the accident. The whole thing was recorded. Doctor Lee wanted me to destroy it, but..."

"But you brought it here, instead. Jonas, why? Why didn't you just show this to your superiors? If this is the proof of Daniel's innocence, then why-"

"They'd already *seen* it! Major, they already watched it, and ignored it. They *wanted* Dr. Jackson to take the blame! Better than our own people being at fault..." Jonas replied emphatically, his frustration evident. Sam averted her eyes, and looked back down at the object in her hands.

"Anyway," Jonas continued, head hanging. "I just... thought maybe you, Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c would want to watch it. Doctor Jackson, he... he knew exactly what... but he still..." Jonas shook his head and started heading toward the door. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Major," he mumbled, as he rushed out of the room.

Sam watched him go, heart thudding in her chest. When he moved out of view, she surveyed her lab, looking anywhere but down at her hands. That film was... was *Daniel killing himself*. Part of her wanted desperately to watch it, just to see him one more time, while another part wanted only to burn it, erasing the memory of Daniel's ugly demise.

As her eyes settled on some dusty video equipment in the corner, her curiosity won. Her endless formulas and calculations forgotten, Sam set to work converting the film to video, half dreading the moment she would finish.

* * *

Losing the battle to control the smile that had been threatening to erupt since Dr. Jackson's return through the Stargate, the General asked, "It's really him?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Yes, it's really him. DNA testing confirms it." Janet mirrored the General's smiles with one of her own. "The good doctor comes complete with appendix scar, scar from the staff weapon, and allergies. The MRI, CAT, and PET scans revealed no presence of any Goa'uld, now or in the past." Opening the files spread before her, Dr. Fraiser continued, "Full body scans did reveal a recent head injury and fracture of the left arm. Healed perfectly. Stubbornness has not improved in the past year...fought me every inch of the way regarding a sedative."

"And...is that why he is not here?" The General did very little to hide the disappointment in his voice. He had found it difficult to leave Dr. Jackson in the infirmary, out of his line of sight.

"No," Dr. Fraiser said with a shake of her head. "He wanted a cup of coffee and a shower. I sent an airman with him...and he gave me full voice of his linguist talents because of that. We haven't even begun to see the repercussions of what occurred while SG1 was missing."

"I agree wholeheartedly, Dr. Fraiser. While in the infirmary, did he mention any..."

A knock on the door brought a halt to the conversation.

"Come in. Excuse me, Dr. Jackson, please have a seat."

Taking a seat, Daniel opened his mouth, audibly shutting it when the General slid a folder in his direction. The General glanced down at the folder then at Daniel as an acknowledgment that he should pick it up. Adjusting his glasses, Daniel opened the folder. "General, I don't see what this has..."

"Dr. Jackson, read it," the General commanded.

Skimming, more than reading, he slammed the folder on the desk. "Sir, to reiterate, I don't see what my mission report regarding Bra'tac's use of the Rite of Mal Sha'rim to return Teal'c back to us has any bearing whatsoever on retrieving the remaining members of SG1."

The General slid another folder towards Daniel. "Read."

Daniel grimaced as he took a sip of the cold coffee that he had brought with him. Sighing, he opened up the file and quickly closed it. "General, why do ..."

"Dr. Jackson...are you aware how long SG1 has been missing?"

Daniel shrugged, confused. Rubbing his eyes under his glasses. "Umm... awhile?"

"That folder, the last one you read...the briefing before your mission to PX8904...That was your last briefing."

"Sir, you must be mistaken...that was over 12 months ago," Daniel stammered. "I can't seem..." His hands were shaking so badly, droplets of coffee feel onto the mission reports.

"That's right son. SG1 never returned from that mission. We were never able to reinitialize the wormhole after your team stepped through it."

Visions of the posters that Talin had pointed out to him in the Control Room mentally appeared with frightening clarity. Daniel jumped from the seat and began to nervously circle the room. Breathing heavily, he began to tick off a list.

"Anubis."

"Who?" the General questioned.

"Undercover mission with Jacob and myself to a Goa'uld summit?"

"Daniel?"

"Chaka...Civil war? Cassie and Nirtii? Reese and the replicators? Tanith? The destruction of the Tollans? The Russian DHD?" Daniel dropped back down into the chair and buried his face in his hands. Dr. Fraiser attempted to place a hand of comfort on Daniel's arm. He pulled away in response and lowered his hands. "Twelve months worth of missions that never existed here...my God, we've been living out missions...Oh my God, he wasn't lying...Talin was telling the truth."

"Dr. Jackson...where has SG1 been for the past 12 months?"

"We've been... I've been..." Daniel took a deep breath. "SG1 has been kidnapped to provide viewing pleasure to a planet."

* * *

It was late and Jack O'Neill thought he would be able to just leave the mountain and go home. Teal'c was Kel'no'reeming for the night. Now that Daniel had ascended, he was Oma Delsala's worry to tuck in at night. That left Sam, and since the light was on in her lab, well he figured she was still up. Never knocking, he walked into her lab, surprised to find her bending over a TV screen.

"Watcha watchin'?" he whispered in her ear.

Sam jumped up, amazed at the Colonel's Black Op skills once again. "Umm... the video tape, or their equivalent of one, anyway, from the Kelona lab. Just as Daniel...ya know."

He rubbed her shoulders lightly, as much to offer comfort to himself and to her. "And you're torturing...I mean watching this because...?"

"Well in all honesty, this should not even be in SGC's possession. Jonas gave it to me... I believe out of guilt to show Daniel's heroism. But I'm confused... Something doesn't ring true, sir. "

"And that would be what, Carter?"

"Watch it sir," she ordered, as she proceeded to rewind the tape.

"Carter...I really would rather not."

"Please sir...it is important," she implored.

Watching the scene playing out before him, he couldn't look for the question that Carter was asking, too distraught over seeing Daniel's actions. He saw the resolve in his teammate's face...and that was all he saw. Awareness dawned when he realized that what Daniel had done was no different than his actions on Abydos, when he placed his body in front of Jack's to save his life. But then, there had been a sarcophagus. This time, there had been only...only Oma Desala. But gone was gone, as Carter had so eloquently put it.

Jack scrubbed his hands over his face in frustration when the tape ended. "Carter, fill me in. I'm still missing what you're trying to show me."

Sam took a deep breath and prepared herself to slip into her familiar roll of explaining things to the Colonel. "The radiation level in the lab was off the scale. The scientist, Tomas Lee, at the first sign of the impending accident, warns them *not to break the glass* because everyone would be killed from the dosage of radiation. He disappears to safety, Daniel shoots out the glass window...the whole window shatters sir. The whole window. Jonas was standing in front of the window, next to Daniel. Jonas did not have any sign of radiation poisoning nor did he have any sign of ever being in close contact to the radiation. I don't understand it sir. Jonas was in close enough proximity to have gotten sick from radiation exposure. Something is wrong ....a piece of the puzzle is missing."

Jack paused and pulled up a chair next to Carter. Pointing to the screen, he said, "Carter, replay the tape again."

Sure enough, he saw the problem this time, though ignoring the image of Daniel was... hard. Jack scrubbed his mouth and chin with his hand, deep in thought, as the video concluded. Carter watched him intently, waiting for his response. He took a deep breath.

"You're sure. You're absolutely certain that there's something wrong here? There's no way that maybe the Kelonans have some sort of... I dunno, *immunity*?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Positive. Otherwise, why would Jonas and the other scientists be so concerned about it? I mean, if they weren't susceptible to radiation in the same way we are, there wouldn't be any reason to be afraid of it," Carter answered.

Jack contemplated that for a moment before reaching over and picking up the phone on the worktable. "I'm calling Teal'c," he explained upon noticing Carter's questioning look. "He should see this, too. Then, we'll decide what to do about it."

"You think we should take this to Hammond?" Sam asked. "I mean, no matter what we do, it's not like it'll bring Daniel back."

"That's beside the point, Carter. If there was foul play here at all, I want it on record."

* * *

*"That's beside the point, Carter. If there was foul play here at all, I want it on record."*

Talin shook his head in dismay as he watched the scene unfold on the monitors in front of him. This was a most unfortunate development... for more than a few people to be sure. He looked discreetly to his left and saw that his *former* technical advisor had buried her head in her hands. So ironic, he thought, that while she couldn't even engineer a simple death, she was able to so quickly realize that her career was over.

As if sensing the attention focused in her direction, she lifted her head and glanced at her employer, grimacing at the words she knew were well on their way.

"Leske," Talin said, very calmly and with a slight grin on his face. "You are dismissed."

Leske nodded and stood silently, collecting her bag. She looked around the room one last time before leaving. For such a hub of activity, the control room was remarkably silent. There were a good two dozen people silently milling about, cautiously avoiding her perusal, there were people sitting at tables, eyes glued to various monitors, headphones stuck to their ears. Closer to her own workstation, several people sat before computers, programming new scenarios and characters, fixing bugs in the system, and maintaining the Environment. In the center of the room, surrounded by monitors and machines of his own, sat Talin, keeping careful tabs on everyone and everything in the room and beyond.

Leske glanced one last time at the monitor at her workstation, at two of the people she had come to know intimately over the last year, still talking in the lab, then she turned to the door and strode toward it, head high and chin defiant. It opened for her then closed behind her, just as she had rehearsed thousands of times in her head.

She silently praised Dotrin for his performance as Jonas Quinn. When Talin had hired him to play Daniel's replacement, she had been worried, if only because his arrival had sealed Daniel's fate. But when she met him, she realized that he could very well be of use. At first, he'd been reluctant to join their cause, but had soon relented as he became more and more familiar with Talin's methods.

The young woman remembered the disgust the man had hidden away as he played his role, his hatred of the situation SG1 had found themselves in, and had thankfully chosen to accept her offer. Thanks to him, their plan had effectively left the ground.

Leske smiled sweetly at the guard in the hall as she slipped a small object from her clasped hand and into her pocket. Once out of his view, she quickened her pace and expertly navigated the brightly lit maze of corridors in the building she had practically been living in since she joined this project. She flew down several flights of stairs, through several guarded doorways, into secret passages. It had always been amazing to her that one of the most well-known places on the planet was so carefully hidden.

She glanced at her chronometer as she finally stopped at a lone, nondescript door, complete with normal, everyday handle. She had made good time and her codes had not yet been deactivated. She took her stolen device out of her pocket and touched a sequence of buttons on its face before placing a second device under her shirt, attaching it to her chest.

With a great deal of satisfaction, she noted that she was no longer wearing her very professional looking suit, but a baby blue button-up shirt and navy pants, covered by a neat white jacket. Hell, she even had a set of... what were they called again? Oh, yes... dogtags. They jingled ever so slightly under her shirt as she opened the door and stepped calmly into the corridors of the SGC.

If Talin was stupid enough to believe that her poor performance in creating Dr. Jackson's heroic downfall had been accidental, an unfortunate result of careless oversight on her part, he wouldn't realize what she was trying to do until it was too late.

After all, Leske was a very good actress.

She nodded curtly to a passing airman, as he greeted her with a smile. "Airman," she acknowledged as he gave her a slight salute.

"Dr. Fraiser," he replied, nodding back.

'Dr. Fraiser' smiled and began walking toward the elevator at the end of the hall.

As she entered the elevator, Leske pushed the appropriate level to the infirmary with shaking hands. She leaned against the elevator wall, exhaling the breath she was not even aware of holding. She began to nervously, tap her foot on the floor, counting the levels until the infirmary. As the doors opened, Leske continued on her way, the heels on 'Dr. Fraiser's' shoes echoing through the hallway. She had one purpose in mind...the mission to continue to save a life that she hoped had survived his ascension.

'If Ronar had been able to successfully dial the planet earth. If Ronar had been able to successfully input the GDO codes for earth without alerting anyone. If the codes were still accessible. If the iris opened. If the real SGC even opened the iris based on faith. So many variables, almost too many.

Leske entered Dr. Fraiser's office locking the door behind her. She knew where all the viewing cameras were mounted. Skillfully avoiding them, but never giving the impression to the viewing audience that she was, in reality, pulling the wool over their eyes. Laughing to herself, she became aware that she had even picked up some of their planet's euphemisms.

She unlocked the filing cabinet, removing the thickest file there. Turning around, Leske gently placed it on her desk, caressing the folder lovingly. Grabbing a tissue from the ever-present box on her desk, Leske dramatically wiped her eyes. She sensed, as opposed to actually hearing , the whirring of the viewing cameras focus in on the name located on the tab of the medical records of "Doctor Daniel Jackson." Leske could visualize at least 100 million of the viewing public across her world grabbing a tissue in commiseration with Dr. Fraiser and echoing words of sympathy.

This acting on Leske's part was important, but the information contained in Daniel's medical records was imperative. As Dr. Fraiser, she picked the medical record up and held it tightly to her chest. As Leske, she knew that this action would lead the viewing public not to question why Dr. Fraiser was going to depart the infirmary with a four inch thick medical record under her arm.

What the public did not know, was that three quarters of the chart was empty, and the last part contained Daniel's visits to the infirmary within the past year, as well as, the codes that would deactivate the neuorofilter that was implanted in Daniel's brain. All of SG1 had been fitted with these filters upon their arrival to the planet. Without these codes in Daniel's hands, or in the hands of the real Dr. Fraiser, this filter, which allowed Talin to remove continuous neuro-feedback and memories from the SG1 team, would self-destruct, ending for real, the life of Daniel Jackson.

* * *

General Hammond looked at the bleary eyed archeologist sitting to his right with concern as Daniel rubbed his temples in obvious discomfort. Glancing at the wall clock, he was shocked when he realized that he, Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Jackson had been sitting in the briefing room for over four hours.

Daniel got up to pour himself another cup of coffee. 

"Daniel, do you think that's a good idea?" Janet said, indicating the half dozen empty cups by his place at the table.

Daniel leaned against the sideboard eyes downcast. He slowly raised his head, pinpoints of color on his pale cheeks the only indication of his controlled anger. "No, Dr. Fraiser, this is not a good idea." He raised his coffee in acknowledgment. "Neither is *my* being here and my *teammates*," Daniel waved his arm in the direction of the Stargate, "being out there, a good idea." 

Daniel sank into the chair and exhaled audibly. His gaze flicked from the General to Janet. "I don't know how they did it. It wasn't like the Gamekeeper's planet, we didn't watch; we participated. We thought we were here. Well we *were* here just not...you know, *here*." Daniel took a deep breath to bring his emotions under control. Aware that he was rambling, he shifted nervously in his seat. 

"Daniel, it's not that we doubt you, it's just that--," Janet began, but was cut off by an Airman clearing his throat from the top of the stairs. Janet sat back in her chair to wait as Hammond motioned the airman to enter.

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Fraiser asked that she be informed immediately when we had the results of Dr. Jackson's electron resonance scan." The airman held up the folder in his hand and gave it to Janet before saluting the General and leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Electron resonance scan, Doctor?" Hammond probed as the Doctor sifted through the papers in the file.

"Yes, sir." She looked up as she answered, then over to Daniel, who had a puzzled look on his face.

"Isn't that the same...uh, thing... you ran a couple years ago when..." Daniel started.

"When Urgo was here? Yes, it is. I saw an anomaly on one of the brain scans and wanted to double check it, make sure we didn't have another implant or som—hmm," she trailed off, utterly engrossed in the paperwork she was holding.

"Uh-oh. I don't like that `hmm,' Janet..." Daniel eyed her warily as he waited for a response. He had a bad feeling about this... but maybe it would be the kind of proof he needed to get the General to authorize a rescue mission or something. "Janet. What *is* it?"

"Doctor?" The General leaned in over the table.

"Daniel, I... I don't know what it is. I mean... wow." Janet was shaking her head, now, reading and rereading the report in the file, flipping from it to the scan behind it.

"Janet! What? Oh, gimme that!" Daniel, growing uncharacteristically impatient, grabbed the file out of her hand and thumbed back to the scan, pulling it out to hold up to the light. "Wow," was all he could say when the image began to make sense. "Uh... I'm no doctor, Doctor, but I don't think that's something the average person comes factory equipped with."

"Dr. Jackson? If you would please enlighten me?" The General severely disliked being out of the loop. Daniel complied as best he could by simply handing over the scan and looking to Janet for the explanation that he needed as well.

"What am I looking at, Doctor?" Hammond asked, holding the film up to the light.

"Well, sir, that's the anomaly. Magnified several thousand times, of course. It's about two millimeters in diameter and obviously mechanical. From what this report is telling me, sir, Daniel, it's emitting a low-level EM field and is kinda... well, it's hardwired into his brain, sir. It's issuing synapses and responses, just like any other biological area of his brain. Frankly, I *think* this little guy might go so far as to completely corroborate Daniel's story. This is the answer to the question as to what type technology those people used on SG1. If all of SG1 has one of these things in their heads, from what the scan is showing me... It's *possible* that this device would make it possible for memories to be extracted and for SG1's comprehension of their senses to be manipulated. The technology *is* extremely advanced."

Daniel couldn't decide between being horrified and jumping up and shouting `woo-hoo!' whilst pumping his fist in victory.

"Can this implant be removed?" asked the General, finally laying down the scan and folding his hands on the table.

"Well, actually, yes. I think it can. It's not so small that we can't work with it. And, it's just kind of... on the surface of his brain. Right in the middle, here." She pointed to the very top of her head. "It's lying on the membrane between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Granted, it's a very delicate location and an operation would be risky, but if we called in a specialist, I think we could extract it without causing any damage."

"I'll make some calls, Doctor. Good work," Hammond replied.

"Excuse me...Janet, General Hammond with all due respect, I'm sitting right here." Daniel waved his arms in severe agitation. "Please don't speak like I'm a nonentity. I refuse to see a specialist and subject myself to surgical removal of this device right now. You can call whomever you wish, but surgery needs to wait until I...we get Jack, Sam and Teal'c back to the SGC."

Fraiser and the General exchanged a glance. "Dr. Fraiser. At this point in time, will Dr. Jackson's health be in danger if the device is not removed?"

Janet opened the files again, read them over, raised her head and answered "No. But I really believe that a neurologist should be contacted, not only for Dr. Jackson, but I believe for the remaining members of SG1, if and when we get them back." Janet sent an encouraging glance over in Daniel's direction. He smiled in acknowledgement. 

"General, in light of this new, uh, evidence, I would like to ask again that a rescue team be sent through the gate for the rest of SG1, sir." Daniel stood as he made his request, hands clasped behind his back at a fair approximation of `parade rest,' just as he had seen Jack and Sam do a million times before.

Hammond took a deep breath and nodded his head to him, acknowledging the effort before he broke the bad news.

"Dr. Jackson, I'm sorry. I... I ordered a probe to be sent through a few hours ago while you were being checked out. To PX8904. It was unable to rematerialize on the other side."

"So what are you saying? They have an iris?" Daniel asked, bringing his hands down to rest on the General's desk. Janet's jaw dropped as well. She had been hoping so fiercely for some good news in all of this.

"Maybe not exactly like ours, but just as effective. Bottom line, son, there's nothing we can do. Believe me when I say that I *was* going to authorize a mission, proof or not, but now..."

"Now there's... nothing we can do," Daniel lowered his eyes and his shoulders fell. "Unless--," he started, eyes wide with realization.

"We are trying to contact the Asgard and the Tok'ra, but the Asgard are as deeply entrenched in their war with the replicators as ever and the Tok'ra are unavailable... We'll keep trying, son, but you'll just have to be patient."

"I understand, sir. Thank-you for trying."

"We won't give up on them, Daniel," Hammond said as Daniel turned and headed for the door. 

"No. No we won't," said Daniel under his breath, never breaking stride.

The General waited until the distraught doctor exited the room before picking up the phone and dialing security. He felt uncomfortable about his giving the order to have base security keep a discrete eye on Daniel Jackson. The General wished to be informed immediately if Dr. Jackson made any attempt to leave the base or enter the embarkation or control room. He hung up the phone with a sigh and a heavy heart, a feeling of disgust washing over him for having to take those precautions.

He jumped when Dr. Fraiser touched his arm.

"Sir," the good doctor said gently. "It needs to be done. Daniel is going to be experiencing extreme fluctuations in emotions. The strongest one will be displacement. He knows this is his home, but he feels his home is also with his team who are light years away...and he believes they are in danger." 

In an uncharacteristically gentle motion, the General placed his hands atop Dr. Fraiser's on his forearms. Their eyes met and the doctor smiled at him with compassion in her eyes as she continued. "Also, sir, Daniel is overcome with horrible guilt. The first commandment of Colonel Jack O'Neill...the one he embedded in his kids' minds...was that no one gets left behind. In Daniel's eyes and his heart, he had broken most important of all rules, and it is figuratively going to destroy him. And the worst part is, he really doesn't know why he is here and the remaining members of SG1 are not."

In a voice choked with emotion, the General responded, "I know, Doctor Fraiser, but that doesn't make it any easier."

* * *

Daniel picked up his pace through the halls of the SGC, aware that Hammond had tagged security to him. He walked through the quiet corridors, head down and hands ensconced deeply in his pants pockets. Numerous personnel attempted to halt the doctor, but he refused to make eye contact with anyone. 

Since finding out SG1's purpose on the planet...Daniel could literally feel his skin crawl, remembering that his every move had been watched, viewed, measured and judged. Reaching the elevator, he entered and pushed the button to close the doors; however, Daniel stayed in the elevator, lost in thought, without pushing a destination. 

Judged...Judged. Daniel leaned his head against the immobile elevator's closed doors. Thinking of judgment and how he judged Jack with horrible words when the Colonel had terminated Reese in the gate room. Terrible, horrible words...words that further destroyed a friendship that was on tenuous grounds at best. Words for a situation that never existed, actions for a predicament that was someone's idea of a good "episode." Daniel gave a slightly hysterical laugh, as he absently rubbed the arm that Reese had broken, wondering if it had been the planet's "sweeps week" when Reese came into their lives. 

Daniel pushed his office's floor out of habit and upon the opening of the elevator doors he resumed his trek with his head down, brushing past SGC personnel. He couldn't do it, he was unable to hear how much he was missed, `happy to have you back' and all the platitudes that accompanied it. Fully aware that the next person who attempted to speak to him would be at the receiving end of his pent up fury. Such an out-of-character action would surely provide Daniel with one way ticket to visit Mackenzie's office...a visit he so did not need now.

Daniel stood outside his office door and hesitated only a moment before entering. Even though he had been in his "office" prior to gating to Kelona...this one was home, and he felt it the moment he stepped through the door. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he imagined he could hear the sound of pieces falling into place. This place was so right, he was angry with himself for not realizing the other "office," the one on the planet, had been so wrong. 

Walking around, examining artifacts and pictures, books and notes, he gave a silent thank you to Hammond for not allowing anyone to occupy his office while he was gone. This must have been just how he left it, files on his desk, artifacts waiting to be catalogued... for the first time since his arrival home, Daniel permitted himself a smile. 

Daniel stretched his arms upwards in an attempt to work out the kinks that had settled in his body while sitting in the briefing room for an inordinate amount of time. Glancing upwards while stretching, Daniel's eyes opened wide and then hardened with resolve. Security cameras...two cameras mounted on ceiling brackets in his office... following his every move, viewing him, judging him. Without reservation, Daniel took the stool from the office's workbench and smashed both cameras off their mounts. He took morose pleasure, as the cameras shattered into numerous pieces upon making contact with the concrete floor.

* * *

"Teal'c buddy" Colonel O'Neill shook Teal'c's arm to gain his attention. The three teammates had viewed the Kelonan security tape six more times, starting and stopping at different points, never really speaking. Each time the tape concluded, one of the three would just say the word, "again" and the tape would be rewound.

"I have seen enough, O'Neill."

Running his fingers through his short, gray hair, Jack whispered, "Daniel thought something was up."

Leaning over to shut off the VCR, Carter turned to her commanding officer. "What? What did he know?," she asked, curious as to why she wasn't aware of any concerns Daniel might have had. He told her everything. Or *had*, she amended.

"I'm not too sure, Carter. You know how Daniel is when he starts to talk..."

"Perhaps it was simply that you would not actively listen, O'Neill. It was a rare occasion on which Daniel Jackson did not speak about relevant information." Teal'c finished the sentence for him.

"Ya didn't have to be so harsh Teal'c."

Carter shot him a look. "I know," the Colonel said, raising his hands in submission. "And now I'm sorry for not paying attention."

"It's a little late for `sorry' sir," she snapped.

"Don't you think I *know* that, Carter?" he hissed back.

His friends' behavior was wearing Teal'c's patience thin. Apparently, the progress made the evening before had not served ease their spirits entirely. He took a deep breath.

"O'Neill, Major Carter. Your behavior is not improving our situation. O'Neill, you will tell us of Daniel Jackson's concerns. Major Carter, you will listen."

They stared at him blankly, for a moment, jaws gaping like beached fish.

"You may start O'Neill."

Taking a breath, the Colonel began. "I recall one specific incident that scared the shit outta Daniel, he probably thought he was going nuts and I did nothing to sway that belief. It started about five months ago..."

"Five months, sir and..." Carter interjected.

Teal'c just turned to her, index finger raised. Properly chastised, she smiled and replied meekly, "Sorry."

"Like I was saying...about five months ago he came to me regarding an incident in his office. He seemed...upset....yeah, really upset." Glancing in Carter's direction he could see his 21C was practically shaking in anger. "He claimed a book he needed...some obscure book, a book he hadn't used in years...well when he took the book off his shelf, the pages were blank. Nothing, nada, zilch.... So he picked up another book off the shelf, same thing. Both, he claimed were research books that he didn't often use. He started to take his older research books down...a few had some pages filled...others empty. He went into old computer files and came up with folders, but they were blank; the files within them were never there...they had never even been deleted they just, like...never existed. Daniel told me he went down to one of the storage rooms and started ripping apart boxes to find old catalogued artifacts...old ones from our first year as SG1. Empty..." Taking a breath the Colonel continued, trying not to meet Carter's accusatory glances. "When Daniel went back up to his office, the same books, left in the same positions, were filled...no blank pages. What had been blank was filled with writing, the computer, the same thing...folders filled. That's when Daniel came to me..."

"And what did you do, O'Neill?"

Hanging his head in shame, he replied, "Nothing. I basically told him he was nuts, asked him if he wanted his butt hauled to the infirmary. Asked when the last time he ate or slept was. Wanted to know if he wanted to visit Mackenzie..."

"Sir, you didn't!" Carter demanded, outraged. 

"Yes, I really did say that to Daniel. It was almost like I had no impulse control. I even dragged him down to the storage room and gave him hell for ripping open the boxes and throwing the artifacts all around. If Daniel had any other incidents like that one, he didn't say. He would make references occasionally, but when I would question him, he refused to answer."

"What type of references sir?"

"Asking me if I got any strange emails on my computer. Things appearing and disappearing in my office. The occasional feeling of being watched here, at home, off world. He would speak to me about feelings of displacement..."

"And you went to no one with this, sir, because *why*?"

"Because after a while I really thought he was starting to lose it and I was afraid if I mentioned it to the doc, she'd call in McKenzie, who would take him back to Mental Health. And we would never get him back." 

"Sorta like now, sir?"

Jack scrubbed his face and ran his hands through his hair. He met Carter's eyes, not denying her accusation. "Exactly like now, Carter."

"Sorry sir,"

"God, guys. Not as sorry as I am." The Colonel took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. "Okay input here, where are we now on this? Are the Kalonans responsible for Daniel's disappearance? Did he really ascend with Oma girl? Any ideas folks? There is obviously some type of conspiracy, somewhere with Daniel naturally at the crux."

"General Hammond sir? Shouldn't we let the General know?"

"I agree O'Neill."

"Okay," the Colonel replied. "We're off to see the great and powerful Oz." He leaned over and grabbed the video tape from the machine. "Let's show him this. And Carter, let's make a couple of copies...one for each of us. Never know when things may start to do a magical act again at the SGC."

* * *

"Ha. Magic. I must say, Jack's wit never grows old. It does, however, seem that we have a problem, ladies and gentlemen. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we can remedy our little situation?" Talin looked around the control room at the hanging heads surrounding him. No one spoke in response to his question. Not that he really expected a response... even in his own mind it was rhetorical. He already had a solution.

"No? No one? Hmm. Big surprise. Well, lucky for all of us, I do have a solution. You! Blue shirt. Come here!" 

"Sir?" replied a normally quiet and reclusive programmer across the room, eyes perking up and back straightening at his leader's call.

"Get me an IHFG and temporarily remove `General Hammond' from the scenario. I think it's time I paid the SGC a little visit," said Talin, an unmistakable smirk gracing his features. The young programmer bolted out of his chair and into the supply room to grab one of the six Individual Holographic Field Generators from the shelf. Well, usually there were six. But with Leske in the Environment, there would only be five. 

Markhen was becoming more than a little upset. This was not something they had planned on. Talin *never* entered the Environment. He much preferred watching the action than being part of it. And what was he planning to do? With his mere presence he could disrupt their plans. And what if he discovered Leske? What would happen then? 

Talin was a brilliant man. Brilliant, but certifiably insane. Over years of stealing peoples' lives... of changing who they were to fit his theatrical needs, of having the power of life and death, happiness and sadness, fury and complacency... he had become drunk with power. Power that had been handed to him on a silver platter by those in high places. Power that would be supported and supplemented by those people. 

There was not a doubt in Markhen's mind that Talin was capable of terrible things. He had no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to destroy the three lives remaining in that farce of a reality, just as he had already tried to destroy the fourth. Just as he had destroyed dozens before these. 

Markhen snatched one of the devices from its cradle and left the supply room, trying to wipe the nervous air from his features. Mustering his courage, he approached Talin, offering the circular piece of technology. Talin grasped it, tumbling it about in his hands, admiring it. 

"Sir? Um, if I may?" asked Markhen, struggling to keep from stuttering in the presence of such a malevolent and ominous man. Talin sighed in exasperation before waving his hand, bidding Markhen to speak.

"Well, sir, I... I just... well..." 

"Well, *what*, Mister? Spit it out, for crying out loud!" prodded Talin. Markhen found himself suppressing a smile at the use of one of Jack's phrases. SG1 had become such an integral part of the people of Carcel's lives that their nuances and quirks had become commonplace. 

"Well, sir... I just... well, I can't wait to see what you have planned, sir." Markhen bowed his head slightly in a gesture of reverence. "I'm sure it's pure genius, and... well..."

"And you want to know what I am going to do?" Talin leaned forward and laid his hand on the young man's shoulder, smiling with a skewed approximation of fatherly affection.

"Yes... uh, yes, sir."

"Hmm. You amuse me, Blue. Why is it that I've never let you play a roll in your own creation? You would have made a wonderful actor in this project."

*Would have?* Markhen thought, as he tried not to cringe at Talin's touch. "I... I don't know, sir."

"Well, Mister," Talin laughed, preparing to stand. "You will soon see, same as everyone else, the great finale I have planned for our friends in there. Ha, you'll see, you'll see."

Talin rose, IHFG in hand, and strode out of the room. As the door closed behind Talin, leaving the control room utterly still, Markhen recovered and turned toward Shev, catching her eye. 

"Finale?" Markhen asked, puzzled by recent developments. The programmer shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention back to her screen. Defeated, Markhen took one more confused look around the room. Finale? Finale meant end. Ends were bad, especially where Talin was involved. Talin, who had a real gift for tragedy. Talin, who was known to take great pleasure in jerking tears from his viewers. Talin, who *loved* a big finish.

He had to talk to Leske. They were running out of time.

Breathless, Leske ran past the cameras as they panned away from her, allowing her unseen access to the storage locker down the corridor from the infirmary. She swung open the door and slipped inside, dropping her file on the floor.

Sitting on the hard concrete floor, Leske pulled a small recording device from her pocket and opened the file to the records made during Dr. Jackson's stay on Carcel. As she flipped through the file, she recorded every page, transforming it into *real* data. Real data on real media that could be sent through the Stargate to Earth. To the real Dr. Fraiser.

So intent was she on her task, that Leske jumped, catching her breath, when her ear communicator sprang to life. In her head, she could hear a familiar voice.

*"Leske! Leske, can you hear me? I can't see you on any of the monitors, so I guess you've already started. Listen, we've got a problem. Talin is going into the Environment as Hammond. You've got to get it to them now! Leske! I really hope you're getting this... he's talking about a finale, Les. He's gonna end it. You've gotta do it now!*" Leske froze as Markhen's panicked voice echoed into her ear. She couldn't respond, he knew that. The only thing she could do was act on the information he had given her. If what he told her was true, and she was sure it was, coming from him, SG-1 was living on borrowed time. 

Leske recorded the last pages of the file and stood up. Looking around the locker, she saw a medium-sized box, lid partially off. She walked over to it, opened it, and dropped the file into it. She picked up the box, opened the door, and confidently walked out into the corridor, carrying the supplies Dr. Fraiser had gone into the locker to find.

* * *

Daniel sat on his office couch, limbs heavy with exhaustion. Mackenzie would have a field day with the condition of his office just then. The most obvious issues were the smashed camera parts littering the floor, followed by books from shelves strewn over the length of the desk and work table. Each volume opened to random points...all with words. Words on every page. Words in every book. In the past few months, doubt had accompanied Daniel every step of the way. Feelings of doubt with regard to friendships, teammates, his work at the SGC, and his own sanity. 

Scrubbing his face, Daniel grimaced as his hands made contact with the healing cuts littering it. The cuts from the glass he had shattered on Kelona...a horrible mix of fantasy versus reality that had brought him back to earth, and before Daniel had an opportunity to halt them, the harsh reality of memories assaulted him.

The feeling of impending doom as he listened to Dr. Fraiser was so overwhelming that Daniel had felt like he was drowning. He didn't want to give up, but this time he knew there wasn't going to be any sarcophagus in the next room waiting to heal him. Janet hadn't wanted to be blunt in her explanation of what would occur in the last hours of his life, but Daniel demanded it. His quest for knowledge was how he lived and he wanted all the knowledge possible as he lay dying. In reality, he was truly afraid of being alone and the longer he could keep Janet in his company, the better he would feel. Daniel could remember the first waves of nausea starting and he became overwhelmed with anxiety as he watched the hands of clock move towards his final hour. Janet administered medication to ease both the anxiety and nausea. Months of fantasy clashed head on with reality when he awoke from the injection.

//Daniel opened his eyes in a tiny, pristine room with only a chair and bed for comfort. Sitting up cautiously, waiting for the waves of nausea to come rushing upon him, he was pleasantly surprised that he felt fine. Daniel swung his legs over the side of the bed, taking note that he was no longer dressed in hospital scrubs, but rather in his SG1 uniform. Finding no signs of radiation poisoning or any injury at all save the marks on his face from the glass, he jumped as a tinny voice from the ceiling speakers filled the room.

"Well, well, Dr. Jackson. Glad you could join us for your final `episode'." 

Daniel's voice took on a slightly hysterical edge as he demanded, "Who are you? Where are you?"

Talin emitted a chuckle. "Just follow the yellow brick road, and it will bring you to the great and powerful Oz."

Leske sat at her monitor shaking her head...the reference to Oz, how ridiculous. Another of SG1's colloquialism that the people of Carcel were using in their daily lives. Why was Oz so great and powerful and where the hell did the yellow brick road go?

She heard Talin's voice take on a soothing, almost placating quality. "Daniel. I may call you Daniel...I feel like I know you intimately. Come on, don't be shy." The door to the room slid open and Daniel stepped forth into what could only be described as a control center. Numerous monitors, each one manned by some type of technician ...speaking through wireless headset microphones. 

"Daniel, hello! Glad to finally meet you. My name in Talin, and this," Talin turned with a broad sweep of his arms, "is your life."

"Am I dead?"

"Is he dead?" Talin reiterated. A few of the technicians in their vicinity laughed. Daniel caught the eye of one of the techs who looked at him with what he could only call `pity' in her eyes. She broke contact as Talin headed her way. Talin had placed his arm around Daniel's shoulder in an act of camaraderie, but Daniel knew it was anything but that and made an attempt to shrug the contact away. 

"Daniel, let me introduce you to Leske, my head technical advisor. Leske, why don't you fill the good doctor in on the activities of SG1 for the past few months."

Looking up at Daniel, who was blinking at her myopically, she motioned for him to take the empty chair next to her console. Daniel flinched from Leske's touch as she pressed a pair of glasses into his palm and motioned for him to put them on. Once on, the glasses brought everything into focus for Daniel and he rotated his head in obvious awe as to the activities that were going on around him. 

"Dr. Jackson...Daniel," Talin sighed. "Please give Leske your full attention. The question and answer period will take place at the end of the show."

Leske reluctantly began to regale Daniel with the tale of SG1's initial encounter on this planet, tapping into their memories and their holographic adventures. She played back various "missions" of SG1 and their life at SGC from her console viewscreen. Leske explained the use of the implanted neurofilters, but drew the line at telling him how Talin was using them to tweak little incidents of friction between the team members. Daniel watched the screen intently, never speaking, barely breathing, as far as Laske could tell.

"Why?" Looking at horror from Leske to Talin, Daniel repeated the question. "Why?"

"Tell him why Leske." Talin commanded.

"For the ratings. These adventures, your everyday life at home, SGC and through the Stargate have had the highest ratings out of any of our story lines." Shame filtered through every pore of Leske's body, unable to meet Daniel's eyes.

"We're... what? A television show? You've played with our lives for *entertainment*?"

"Daniel, Daniel...not just entertainment. THE entertainment. SG1's adventures have brought more revenue than could ever have been imagined! You and your teammates are ingrained in Carcel's *life*. You and yours are the topic of conversation around every watercooler, transport depot, workplace, dinner table, and lunchroom on this world. Your words, your language, your....what's the word...slang have become part of us. Look around you, Daniel, *look*." Talin pulled Daniel into a standing position and rotated him 360 degrees. Posters adorned the walls of the control room. All depicting SG1 and their missions from the past year. Cassie lying in bed in the infirmary, Chaka, Teal'c shooting down Tanith's ship, Reese, replicators...Daniel squeezed his eyes shut against the onslaught of images. As he slowly opened his eyes he took in what he had missed before. Adorning Leske's desk were magazine covers and action figures of SG1. If the situation wasn't so dire, he would laugh at the ludicrous image of Sam as a Barbie Doll.

"Leske, show Daniel what is happening now at SGC. As a matter of interest, Leske, let's show everyone." Leske caught one of Daniel's hands and guided him back down to the chair by her side. She tried to offer him the small comfort of a smile, but Daniel would have none of it, as he plastered an unreadable mask of emotion on his face.

The lights in the room dimmed and the farthest wall became a screen, putting forth an image of a shrouded form lying on a hospital bed. "Look familiar Daniel?" Talin inquired wickedly. "Increase the volume, let the good doctor, hear the touching words his team mates are saying to him." 

Tears filled Daniel's eyes as he listened to the words Sam imparted on the person she thought was Daniel. He saw Jacob try to heal him, then the scene cut to him in the gate room with... who was that? His sharp intake of breath when his "other" self called her Oma Desala... Oma from Kheb. What was she doing there? 

Thoroughly confused and more than a little concerned and frightened for his team mates, he turned imploring eyes first on Talin and then Leske. Leske chose to answer. "We have the ability to morph ourselves with special devices into anyone in your lives, your memories."

Talin laughed. "Isn't technology wonderful Daniel?" 

"What's going to happen to the person who played me? What about the radiation?"

"The mind and our technology are a power combination Daniel. A complete scenario, from Jonas to the Naquadria to Kelona... just a stage for the actors. Albeit, a very convincing holographic stage, but a stage nonetheless. There is no radiation poisoning, but that is not what your teammates were led to believe. Hammond, Dr. Fraiser, Jacob...all actors from this planet. See Daniel, you were getting too close. Little things were piquing your interest, you should have left well enough alone. Stopped asking questions. SG1 has a number of years before the populous grows tired of Stargate travel. So we have to remove you from the play...in a very convincing way. Didn't want to kill you off and have to take the chance of Colonel O'Neill wanting to retire again, so viola! Enter our Oma and throw a little ascension into the mix and its bye-bye Daniel. Always the possibility of you returning, so everyone sticks around until Daniel makes another appearance."

"Ascension?" Daniel squeaked.

"Oops, sorry...gave it away..." Talin motioned to the screen. "watch...see how it all turns out."

Daniel watched as his "other" self convinced Jack to let him go. Jack had fought to clear Daniel's name, but in Daniel's mind, he seemed to let him go with Oma without a fight. He was willing to let him ascend without question. And he "admired" him. Five years of friendship and all he did was *admire* him? Not even *like* him? Tears sprung unheeded to his eyes with the thought of what he had just seen. He had seen enough, and it was time to get the hell out of this place.

Talin brought his hands together in glee, as the screen rose and the control room resumed normal lighting.

For a second all Daniel could think of, was that he wasn't crazy. Talin was, but he wasn't. Then something dawned on him. Daniel stood and faced his captor. "Talin, what happens to me...this me?" 

"I'm sorry Daniel, we are going to have to return you to earth..."

A smile lit up Daniel's face, he would go back to the real SGC, get Hammond and...

"Oh, but without the benefit of a GDO code."

Daniel's mouth dropped at Talin's unspoken implications. Hammond wouldn't open the iris without a code. Daniel's trip would be a short and... well, short.

Talin patted Daniel's cheek. "You are so naïve, Daniel. Think about it, how could we keep you alive? This is much better, our ratings will go through the roof on this show." 

Talin motioned for two security guards. With weapons pointed at Daniel, two more guards stepped up and physically escorted a kicking and screaming Daniel out of the control room. Daniel wasn't going down without a fight as the doors closed effectively shutting out Daniel's cursing as he was led to his fate.

"Ronar, do your hear me. If you do, beep back." Leske whispered into her headset.

A returning beep was all the confirmation that Leske received but she smiled. Ronar was in the control booth, as Sergeant Siler, the man not only responsible for inputting the chevrons for earth, but unbeknownst to Talin, the GDO codes as well. "Listen, Talin and the guards are bringing Daniel now. As soon as the wormhole is activated, put in the GDO codes and let's just hope that Earth will still accept them, otherwise it is going to be a very short trip for Daniel Jackson. Good luck."

Daniel opened his eyes. When he was physically thrown through Carcel's Stargate to earth, he never expected to hit the ramp on other side.//

The sounding of the klaxons in this reality and a call of his name to report to the control room interrupted that line of thought as hopes of his team mates returning took foremost precedence in his mind.

* * *

"Thank you. No..no just guard the door as unobtrusively as possible. Yes. The same standing order as before. Thank you Sergeant." Hanging up the phone, he turned to Dr. Fraiser who was still intently studying the results of Dr. Jackson's scans. 

"Doctor?"

"Sorry, sir. The technology of this device is amazing. If we can remove this from Dr. Jackson's brain intact...the advances it will help make in the medical study of the human brain and brain stem injuries will be invaluable." Pausing in her diatribe, she noticed the look on General Hammond's face. "General, is there a problem?" 

The man, who always seemed to spit in the eye of adversity, who always held his head high in battle looked defeated. "That was security, Doctor. It seems Dr. Jackson got a little angry at the security cameras in his office, and took them out with a stool. I am afraid this may only be the tip of the iceberg. I'm not sure how we can actually get his team members back, and I don't know if he will survive another loss."

Janet's response was cut short by the reverberating klaxons and the announcement of "off world activation". Down in the control room, the General had a sense of déjà vu, as the technician informed him that they were recieving SG1's codes. For the second time in two days, General Hammond gave the command to open the iris, Janet called a medical team to the gate room, and the General paged Dr. Jackson. Minutes later, Dr. Jackson joined the General and Dr. Fraiser in the control room, concern etched on his face.

* * *

Leske took the back corridors to the gateroom. Even though the cameras were on, the feedback would not be focused on her, but Daniel Jackson's teammates and how they were coping with his `ascension.' Entering the gate room, she proceeded up the stairs to the control room. Ronar was again on duty as Sgt. Siler. Ronar nodded in acknowledgment of her presence as Leske took out a small stun gun and immobilized everyone in the control room, save Ronar She also took out the ever present cameras in the room. Even though the screens were not following her actions, she didn't want the playback tapes being viewed. Signaling to Ronar, he rolled away from the console as she shot out the controls for the cameras in the gateroom. "Ready? You have Daniel's records?"

Holding up the disc she said, "As ready as I'll ever be." Pocketing the disc, she issued a warning to Ronar. "Be on your best behavior. Talin is entering the Environment as Hammond."

"Will do. Be careful...you be careful Leske," he said, his eyes betraying his thoughts. "We don't know if Daniel ever made it through to earth, Leske. We have no proof if the iris ever opened. You may be risking your life for nothing. We don't know if the GDO codes were accepted then, and we certainly don't know if they will accept them now." 

"I know Ronar, but just start dialing before I change my mind." Stepping forward, she gave him a small peck on the check. "Like before, as soon as the wormhole engages, send through the IDC. I'm sorry, but I will have to stun you...I can't have you go down with me."

"Chevron 7 is locked, Leske, IDC is being sent now. Good Luck."

"Thanks for everything, Ronar." As she raised the gun, they nodded to each other and Leske stunned Ronar, ran down the metal staircase and up the ramp to the event horizon...hoping that this trip to save Daniel and the remaining members of SG1 wouldn't end in disaster.

* * *

The iris opened and three people collectively held their breaths. Daniel gave a silent prayer as the horizon fluctuated, spitting out one Janet Fraiser. Daniel looked from the Dr. Fraiser on the ramp to the one standing next to him. Daniel started to descend down the stairs, the doppelganger of Dr. Fraiser, stunning the gate room into inactivity. 

"Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond questioned, as Daniel made his way out of the control room, no doubt headed for the person who had just emerged from the gate. Jackson ignored him, and the General did a double take toward the gate as it disengaged, leaving the room in relative darkness. Next to him, Dr. Fraiser moved to follow Daniel, jerking him back to reality. 

The... woman... on the ramp didn't move, wary of the SF's in the gateroom pointing large, ominous weapons precisely in her direction. Smart girl. She was perfectly motionless, arms wrapped around herself in a defensive posture. She grasped a small object in her hands. Her face... well, Janet Fraiser's face, wore an expression of pure relief. She appeared glad to be alive. Like she knew that coming through with outdated codes would be a terrible risk.

Tearing his gaze away from the gateroom, Hammond turned and headed for the stairs himself. The SF at the blast door swiped his card through the reader, allowing Jackson, Fraiser and Hammond access to the room.

Without speaking, Daniel strode up to the ramp, his face set in determination, as he came face to face with the woman. She straightened and tensed, setting her jaw as if she knew what was coming. Hammond and Janet stepped into the gateroom as well, the General motioning to the armed guards to lower their weapons. He started walking toward the still silent pair on the ramp, but Janet gently touched his arm and shook her head slightly. Perhaps it was best to just see what would develop.

* * *

Daniel slowly and deliberately walked up the steps of the ramp, never taking his eyes off the woman. Her eyes darted uncertainly around the room, but she didn't move a muscle. When he stopped, inches away from her, she finally looked him in the eyes. She may look just like Janet, but her eyes were a different color... and vaguely familiar.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly. Her eyes darted again. Daniel was quickly becoming impatient. "Let me phrase this another way," he said, the picture of nonchalance, shifting his balance to his left leg and putting his hands on his hips. "Who the *hell* are you?!" Daniel shouted. The woman took a step back. She looked like she was about to cry.

"I... I'm sorry!" she pleaded. "Daniel, you have to believe me! I'm so sorry! I tried... we tried to..."

"You tried to what? Huh? You tried to what? Are they okay? You tell me, are they okay, or did that... madman Talin or whatever do to them what he tried to do to me?" Daniel was a good several inches taller than the woman, and was trying his damnedest to intimidate her. Surprisingly enough, he was doing a fair job.

"Daniel, please! Listen to me for a minute, I'm trying to tell you!" she finally screeched, putting her hands up to her face. Daniel stepped back for a moment, as she waved her arms about in near hysteria. "God!" she breathed. "I... I... I *risk* my *life* trying to get here, and now I don't even know what the hell to *say*!"

"Okay, okay... hang on a minute!" Daniel took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes, as he tried to think through the situation, totally oblivious of the dozen or two people staring intently at him, anxiously awaiting his next move. He took a deep breath.

"Well..." he said softly, looking back at her face. "You could start by telling me who you are. I mean, you're *obviously* not Janet." He motioned toward the Doctor, still standing by the blast door with General Hammond.

"No, I'm not. Not really. But I..."

"But you what?"

"But I have been," she whispered, and reached a hand down her blouse. Within seconds, the `Dr. Fraiser' façade melted before his eyes, and Daniel gasped in sudden realization. She pulled her hand out of her shirt and produced a round object. She dropped her arms and her shoulders slumped as she lowered her head in defeat.

"It's you... Leske. You..." Daniel shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "What... what are you doing here?"

"I'm... well, I'm trying to save your life, Daniel. And theirs."

"What do you mean? I could understand saving them, but what's there to save me from?"

"Yourself."

* * *

Chapter 3

General Hammond looked at the bleary eyed archeologist sitting to his right with concern as Daniel rubbed his temples in obvious discomfort. Glancing at the wall clock, he was shocked when he realized that he, Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Jackson had been sitting in the briefing room for over four hours.

Daniel got up to pour himself another cup of coffee.

"Daniel, do you think that's a good idea?" Janet said, indicating the half dozen empty cups by his place at the table.

Daniel leaned against the sideboard eyes downcast. He slowly raised his head, pinpoints of color on his pale cheeks the only indication of his controlled anger. "No, Dr. Fraiser, this is not a good idea." He raised his coffee in acknowledgment. "Neither is *my* being here and my *teammates*," Daniel waved his arm in the direction of the Stargate, "being out there, a good idea."

Daniel sank into the chair and exhaled audibly. His gaze flicked from the General to Janet. "I don't know how they did it. It wasn't like the Gamekeeper's planet, we didn't watch; we participated. We thought we were here. Well we *were* here just not...you know, *here*." Daniel took a deep breath to bring his emotions under control. Aware that he was rambling, he shifted nervously in his seat.

"Daniel, it's not that we doubt you, it's just that--," Janet began, but was cut off by an Airman clearing his throat from the top of the stairs. Janet sat back in her chair to wait as Hammond motioned the airman to enter.

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Fraiser asked that she be informed immediately when we had the results of Dr. Jackson's electron resonance scan." The airman held up the folder in his hand and gave it to Janet before saluting the General and leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Electron resonance scan, Doctor?" Hammond probed as the Doctor sifted through the papers in the file.

"Yes, sir." She looked up as she answered, then over to Daniel, who had a puzzled look on his face.

"Isn't that the same...uh, thing... you ran a couple years ago when..." Daniel started.

"When Urgo was here? Yes, it is. I saw an anomaly on one of the brain scans and wanted to double check it, make sure we didn't have another implant or som-hmm," she trailed off, utterly engrossed in the paperwork she was holding.

"Uh-oh. I don't like that 'hmm,' Janet..." Daniel eyed her warily as he waited for a response. He had a bad feeling about this... but maybe it would be the kind of proof he needed to get the General to authorize a rescue mission or something. "Janet. What *is* it?"

"Doctor?" The General leaned in over the table.

"Daniel, I... I don't know what it is. I mean... wow." Janet was shaking her head, now, reading and rereading the report in the file, flipping from it to the scan behind it.

"Janet! What? Oh, gimme that!" Daniel, growing uncharacteristically impatient, grabbed the file out of her hand and thumbed back to the scan, pulling it out to hold up to the light. "Wow," was all he could say when the image began to make sense. "Uh... I'm no doctor, Doctor, but I don't think that's something the average person comes factory equipped with."

"Dr. Jackson? If you would please enlighten me?" The General severely disliked being out of the loop. Daniel complied as best he could by simply handing over the scan and looking to Janet for the explanation that he needed as well.

"What am I looking at, Doctor?" Hammond asked, holding the film up to the light.

"Well, sir, that's the anomaly. Magnified several thousand times, of course. It's about two millimeters in diameter and obviously mechanical. From what this report is telling me, sir, Daniel, it's emitting a low-level EM field and is kinda... well, it's hardwired into his brain, sir. It's issuing synapses and responses, just like any other biological area of his brain. Frankly, I *think* this little guy might go so far as to completely corroborate Daniel's story. This is the answer to the question as to what type technology those people used on SG1. If all of SG1 has one of these things in their heads, from what the scan is showing me... It's *possible* that this device would make it possible for memories to be extracted and for SG1's comprehension of their senses to be manipulated. The technology *is* extremely advanced."

Daniel couldn't decide between being horrified and jumping up and shouting 'woo-hoo!' whilst pumping his fist in victory.

"Can this implant be removed?" asked the General, finally laying down the scan and folding his hands on the table.

"Well, actually, yes. I think it can. It's not so small that we can't work with it. And, it's just kind of... on the surface of his brain. Right in the middle, here." She pointed to the very top of her head. "It's lying on the membrane between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Granted, it's a very delicate location and an operation would be risky, but if we called in a specialist, I think we could extract it without causing any damage."

"I'll make some calls, Doctor. Good work," Hammond replied.

"Excuse me...Janet, General Hammond with all due respect, I'm sitting right here." Daniel waved his arms in severe agitation. "Please don't speak like I'm a nonentity. I refuse to see a specialist and subject myself to surgical removal of this device right now. You can call whomever you wish, but surgery needs to wait until I...we get Jack, Sam and Teal'c back to the SGC."

Fraiser and the General exchanged a glance. "Dr. Fraiser. At this point in time, will Dr. Jackson's health be in danger if the device is not removed?"

Janet opened the files again, read them over, raised her head and answered "No. But I really believe that a neurologist should be contacted, not only for Dr. Jackson, but I believe for the remaining members of SG1, if and when we get them back." Janet sent an encouraging glance over in Daniel's direction. He smiled in acknowledgement.

"General, in light of this new, uh, evidence, I would like to ask again that a rescue team be sent through the gate for the rest of SG1, sir." Daniel stood as he made his request, hands clasped behind his back at a fair approximation of 'parade rest,' just as he had seen Jack and Sam do a million times before.

Hammond took a deep breath and nodded his head to him, acknowledging the effort before he broke the bad news.

"Dr. Jackson, I'm sorry. I... I ordered a probe to be sent through a few hours ago while you were being checked out. To PX8904. It was unable to rematerialize on the other side."

"So what are you saying? They have an iris?" Daniel asked, bringing his hands down to rest on the General's desk. Janet's jaw dropped as well. She had been hoping so fiercely for some good news in all of this.

"Maybe not exactly like ours, but just as effective. Bottom line, son, there's nothing we can do. Believe me when I say that I *was* going to authorize a mission, proof or not, but now..."

"Now there's... nothing we can do," Daniel lowered his eyes and his shoulders fell. "Unless--," he started, eyes wide with realization.

"We are trying to contact the Asgard and the Tok'ra, but the Asgard are as deeply entrenched in their war with the replicators as ever and the Tok'ra are unavailable... We'll keep trying, son, but you'll just have to be patient."

"I understand, sir. Thank-you for trying."

"We won't give up on them, Daniel," Hammond said as Daniel turned and headed for the door.

"No. No we won't," said Daniel under his breath, never breaking stride.

The General waited until the distraught doctor exited the room before picking up the phone and dialing security. He felt uncomfortable about his giving the order to have base security keep a discrete eye on Daniel Jackson. The General wished to be informed immediately if Dr. Jackson made any attempt to leave the base or enter the embarkation or control room. He hung up the phone with a sigh and a heavy heart, a feeling of disgust washing over him for having to take those precautions.

He jumped when Dr. Fraiser touched his arm.

"Sir," the good doctor said gently. "It needs to be done. Daniel is going to be experiencing extreme fluctuations in emotions. The strongest one will be displacement. He knows this is his home, but he feels his home is also with his team who are light years away...and he believes they are in danger."

In an uncharacteristically gentle motion, the General placed his hands atop Dr. Fraiser's on his forearms. Their eyes met and the doctor smiled at him with compassion in her eyes as she continued. "Also, sir, Daniel is overcome with horrible guilt. The first commandment of Colonel Jack O'Neill...the one he embedded in his kids' minds...was that no one gets left behind. In Daniel's eyes and his heart, he had broken most important of all rules, and it is figuratively going to destroy him. And the worst part is, he really doesn't know why he is here and the remaining members of SG1 are not."

In a voice choked with emotion, the General responded, "I know, Doctor Fraiser, but that doesn't make it any easier."

* * *

Daniel picked up his pace through the halls of the SGC, aware that Hammond had tagged security to him. He walked through the quiet corridors, head down and hands ensconced deeply in his pants pockets. Numerous personnel attempted to halt the doctor, but he refused to make eye contact with anyone.

Since finding out SG1's purpose on the planet...Daniel could literally feel his skin crawl, remembering that his every move had been watched, viewed, measured and judged. Reaching the elevator, he entered and pushed the button to close the doors; however, Daniel stayed in the elevator, lost in thought, without pushing a destination.

Judged...Judged. Daniel leaned his head against the immobile elevator's closed doors. Thinking of judgment and how he judged Jack with horrible words when the Colonel had terminated Reese in the gate room. Terrible, horrible words...words that further destroyed a friendship that was on tenuous grounds at best. Words for a situation that never existed, actions for a predicament that was someone's idea of a good "episode." Daniel gave a slightly hysterical laugh, as he absently rubbed the arm that Reese had broken, wondering if it had been the planet's "sweeps week" when Reese came into their lives.

Daniel pushed his office's floor out of habit and upon the opening of the elevator doors he resumed his trek with his head down, brushing past SGC personnel. He couldn't do it, he was unable to hear how much he was missed, 'happy to have you back' and all the platitudes that accompanied it. Fully aware that the next person who attempted to speak to him would be at the receiving end of his pent up fury. Such an out-of-character action would surely provide Daniel with one way ticket to visit Mackenzie's office...a visit he so did not need now.

Daniel stood outside his office door and hesitated only a moment before entering. Even though he had been in his "office" prior to gating to Kelona...this one was home, and he felt it the moment he stepped through the door. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he imagined he could hear the sound of pieces falling into place. This place was so right, he was angry with himself for not realizing the other "office," the one on the planet, had been so wrong.

Walking around, examining artifacts and pictures, books and notes, he gave a silent thank you to Hammond for not allowing anyone to occupy his office while he was gone. This must have been just how he left it, files on his desk, artifacts waiting to be catalogued... for the first time since his arrival home, Daniel permitted himself a smile.

Daniel stretched his arms upwards in an attempt to work out the kinks that had settled in his body while sitting in the briefing room for an inordinate amount of time. Glancing upwards while stretching, Daniel's eyes opened wide and then hardened with resolve. Security cameras...two cameras mounted on ceiling brackets in his office...following his every move, viewing him, judging him. Without reservation, Daniel took the stool from the office's workbench and smashed both cameras off their mounts. He took morose pleasure, as the cameras shattered into numerous pieces upon making contact with the concrete floor.

* * *

"Teal'c buddy" Colonel O'Neill shook Teal'c's arm to gain his attention. The three teammates had viewed the Kelonan security tape six more times, starting and stopping at different points, never really speaking. Each time the tape concluded, one of the three would just say the word, "again" and the tape would be rewound.

"I have seen enough, O'Neill."

Running his fingers through his short, gray hair, Jack whispered, "Daniel thought something was up."

Leaning over to shut off the VCR, Carter turned to her commanding officer. "What? What did he know?," she asked, curious as to why she wasn't aware of any concerns Daniel might have had. He told her everything. Or *had*, she amended.

"I'm not too sure, Carter. You know how Daniel is when he starts to talk..."

"Perhaps it was simply that you would not actively listen, O'Neill. It was a rare occasion on which Daniel Jackson did not speak about relevant information." Teal'c finished the sentence for him.

"Ya didn't have to be so harsh Teal'c."

Carter shot him a look. "I know," the Colonel said, raising his hands in submission. "And now I'm sorry for not paying attention."

"It's a little late for 'sorry' sir," she snapped.

"Don't you think I *know* that, Carter?" he hissed back.

His friends' behavior was wearing Teal'c's patience thin. Apparently, the progress made the evening before had not served ease their spirits entirely. He took a deep breath.

"O'Neill, Major Carter. Your behavior is not improving our situation. O'Neill, you will tell us of Daniel Jackson's concerns. Major Carter, you will listen."

They stared at him blankly, for a moment, jaws gaping like beached fish.

"You may start O'Neill."

Taking a breath, the Colonel began. "I recall one specific incident that scared the shit outta Daniel, he probably thought he was going nuts and I did nothing to sway that belief. It started about five months ago..."

"Five months, sir and..." Carter interjected.

Teal'c just turned to her, index finger raised. Properly chastised, she smiled and replied meekly, "Sorry."

"Like I was saying...about five months ago he came to me regarding an incident in his office. He seemed...upset....yeah, really upset." Glancing in Carter's direction he could see his 21C was practically shaking in anger. "He claimed a book he needed...some obscure book, a book he hadn't used in years...well when he took the book off his shelf, the pages were blank. Nothing, nada, zilch.... So he picked up another book off the shelf, same thing. Both, he claimed were research books that he didn't often use. He started to take his older research books down...a few had some pages filled...others empty. He went into old computer files and came up with folders, but they were blank; the files within them were never there...they had never even been deleted they just, like...never existed. Daniel told me he went down to one of the storage rooms and started ripping apart boxes to find old catalogued artifacts...old ones from our first year as SG1. Empty..." Taking a breath the Colonel continued, trying not to meet Carter's accusatory glances. "When Daniel went back up to his office, the same books, left in the same positions, were filled...no blank pages. What had been blank was filled with writing, the computer, the same thing...folders filled. That's when Daniel came to me..."

"And what did you do, O'Neill?"

Hanging his head in shame, he replied, "Nothing. I basically told him he was nuts, asked him if he wanted his butt hauled to the infirmary. Asked when the last time he ate or slept was. Wanted to know if he wanted to visit Mackenzie..."

"Sir, you didn't!" Carter demanded, outraged.

"Yes, I really did say that to Daniel. It was almost like I had no impulse control. I even dragged him down to the storage room and gave him hell for ripping open the boxes and throwing the artifacts all around. If Daniel had any other incidents like that one, he didn't say. He would make references occasionally, but when I would question him, he refused to answer."

"What type of references sir?"

"Asking me if I got any strange emails on my computer. Things appearing and disappearing in my office. The occasional feeling of being watched here, at home, off world. He would speak to me about feelings of displacement..."

"And you went to no one with this, sir, because *why*?"

"Because after a while I really thought he was starting to lose it and I was afraid if I mentioned it to the doc, she'd call in McKenzie, who would take him back to Mental Health. And we would never get him back."

"Sorta like now, sir?"

Jack scrubbed his face and ran his hands through his hair. He met Carter's eyes, not denying her accusation. "Exactly like now, Carter."

"Sorry sir,"

"God, guys. Not as sorry as I am." The Colonel took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. "Okay input here, where are we now on this? Are the Kalonans responsible for Daniel's disappearance? Did he really ascend with Oma girl? Any ideas folks? There is obviously some type of conspiracy, somewhere with Daniel naturally at the crux."

"General Hammond sir? Shouldn't we let the General know?"

"I agree O'Neill."

"Okay," the Colonel replied. "We're off to see the great and powerful Oz." He leaned over and grabbed the video tape from the machine. "Let's show him this. And Carter, let's make a couple of copies...one for each of us. Never know when things may start to do a magical act again at the SGC."

* * *

"Ha. Magic. I must say, Jack's wit never grows old. It does, however, seem that we have a problem, ladies and gentlemen. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we can remedy our little situation?" Talin looked around the control room at the hanging heads surrounding him. No one spoke in response to his question. Not that he really expected a response... even in his own mind it was rhetorical. He already had a solution.

"No? No one? Hmm. Big surprise. Well, lucky for all of us, I do have a solution. You! Blue shirt. Come here!"

"Sir?" replied a normally quiet and reclusive programmer across the room, eyes perking up and back straightening at his leader's call.

"Get me an IHFG and temporarily remove 'General Hammond' from the scenario. I think it's time I paid the SGC a little visit," said Talin, an unmistakable smirk gracing his features. The young programmer bolted out of his chair and into the supply room to grab one of the six Individual Holographic Field Generators from the shelf. Well, usually there were six. But with Leske in the Environment, there would only be five.

Markhen was becoming more than a little upset. This was not something they had planned on. Talin *never* entered the Environment. He much preferred watching the action than being part of it. And what was he planning to do? With his mere presence he could disrupt their plans. And what if he discovered Leske? What would happen then?

Talin was a brilliant man. Brilliant, but certifiably insane. Over years of stealing peoples' lives... of changing who they were to fit his theatrical needs, of having the power of life and death, happiness and sadness, fury and complacency... he had become drunk with power. Power that had been handed to him on a silver platter by those in high places. Power that would be supported and supplemented by those people.

There was not a doubt in Markhen's mind that Talin was capable of terrible things. He had no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to destroy the three lives remaining in that farce of a reality, just as he had already tried to destroy the fourth. Just as he had destroyed dozens before these.

Markhen snatched one of the devices from its cradle and left the supply room, trying to wipe the nervous air from his features. Mustering his courage, he approached Talin, offering the circular piece of technology. Talin grasped it, tumbling it about in his hands, admiring it.

"Sir? Um, if I may?" asked Markhen, struggling to keep from stuttering in the presence of such a malevolent and ominous man. Talin sighed in exasperation before waving his hand, bidding Markhen to speak.

"Well, sir, I... I just... well..."

"Well, *what*, Mister? Spit it out, for crying out loud!" prodded Talin. Markhen found himself suppressing a smile at the use of one of Jack's phrases. SG1 had become such an integral part of the people of Carcel's lives that their nuances and quirks had become commonplace.

"Well, sir... I just... well, I can't wait to see what you have planned, sir." Markhen bowed his head slightly in a gesture of reverence. "I'm sure it's pure genius, and... well..."

"And you want to know what I am going to do?" Talin leaned forward and laid his hand on the young man's shoulder, smiling with a skewed approximation of fatherly affection.

"Yes... uh, yes, sir."

"Hmm. You amuse me, Blue. Why is it that I've never let you play a roll in your own creation? You would have made a wonderful actor in this project."

*Would have?* Markhen thought, as he tried not to cringe at Talin's touch. "I... I don't know, sir."

"Well, Mister," Talin laughed, preparing to stand. "You will soon see, same as everyone else, the great finale I have planned for our friends in there. Ha, you'll see, you'll see."

Talin rose, IHFG in hand, and strode out of the room. As the door closed behind Talin, leaving the control room utterly still, Markhen recovered and turned toward Shev, catching her eye.

"Finale?" Markhen asked, puzzled by recent developments. The programmer shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention back to her screen. Defeated, Markhen took one more confused look around the room. Finale? Finale meant end. Ends were bad, especially where Talin was involved. Talin, who had a real gift for tragedy. Talin, who was known to take great pleasure in jerking tears from his viewers. Talin, who *loved* a big finish.

He had to talk to Leske. They were running out of time.

* * *

Chapter 4

There is no chapter four. You're not missing anything :)

* * *

Chapter 5

Talin placed the IHFG under his shirt before stepping into the Environment. As General Hammond, in command of this wonderful facility, he walked cockily down the corridors of SGC, saluting passing airman.

He stopped in the briefing room, glancing through the glass that overlooked the gate and control room. Talin shook his head, watching a technician repair the ruined cameras. He had an idea of what had taken place, but the time was not yet ripe to act.

Entering Hammond's office, Talin turned, surveying his surroundings. He preened himself, knowing the viewing public had their eyes on him, even if it was Hammond. Talin cackled silently. 'The most powerful man in the production world, playing the most powerful man of the infamous SGC. How apropos the analogy was.' In the all scenarios he had ever "produced" with all the "prisoners" he had ever placed, he had never once joined them in the Environment. SG1 was different. Talin had wanted to share the limelight. Carcel had tired quickly of the others, but were enthralled by SG1.

So far, they had been 12 months worth of enthralled and would have been able to go strong for another 12 months, maybe more. But Dr. Daniel Jackson had ruined that with his goddamned inquisitive nature. Daniel had made one serious mistake going to the Colonel with his concerns; Talin turned the tables on Daniel, tweaking the Colonel's neurofilter, thereby all but bringing to a grinding halt the friendship between him and Daniel. Keeping his facial expression impartial and rubbing his hands together, he remembered the enormous amount of mail that was received from fans to this regard. God, these players were gold! What fun it was going to be, planning for their finale.

Sitting at the desk, an exact replica of the desk from Hammond's real office on the real earth, Talin was aware that if he opened the bottom left hand drawer, a bottle of Johnny Walker Red and two shot glass would be there. The pictures of the granddaughters on the desk, the awards on the walls...all compliments of SG1's memories. Shaking his head in amazement, Talin could not believe how good these players actually were.

"General Hammond... General Hammond." Talin jumped when he heard the disembodied voice calling his name from the office intercom.

"Yes?" he answered shakily, embarrassment flushing his face when he realized he was startled in front of millions of viewers.

"SG1 is here to see you."

Straightening up in his chair and smoothing his shirt he replied, "Send them in." Motioning the team to the chairs in his office, he drawled, "What can I do you for?"

"Well sir," Jack began. "We have this video tape we would...you see, Carter..."

"Jonas gave me the Kelonan tape from a camera in the lab, portraying Daniel's heroism...And sir, it seems that Jonas was also exposed to the radiation. Not in as close proximity to Daniel, sir, but close enough for him to feel some type of effect."

Placing a quizzical look on his face, knowing this scene had to be played just right, he answered, "Why would Jonas have just handed you this tape?"

"He must've felt guilty sir, Jonas that is...not Daniel."

Carter glanced in the Colonel's directions with the look she had perfected. That 'just shut your mouth, I'm talking' look.

"If I may continue, General. The tape sheds a whole new perspective on the Kelonan people."

"Major, I don't understand the point you are trying to make here," 'Hammond' said.

"Perhaps we should just play the tape for the General, MajorCarter?" Teal'c requested, with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Good idea, Teal'c. There's a VCR in the briefing room..."

"I'll bring it here, Sir. We think it'd be better without all of SGC viewing this tape."

"Very well, Colonel."

They viewed the tape in silence, the three remaining members of the team gauging General Hammond's body language.

Upon completion 'Hammond' was silent for a few minutes. "Has anyone thought to check the authenticity of this tape?"

"No sir, I didn't see any...."

"Any need Major? On the contrary, with Dr. Jackson's ascension and Jonas a persona non grata on his home planet, this tape could allude to his guilt. Let's make sure that it is the real thing, before we take any action."

Just as Major Carter was going to argue regarding the validity of the tape the klaxon's sounded. 'Hammond' lifted his eyes quickly to the time keeping device on the wall, 'right on schedule'.

SG1 and 'Hammond' descended to the control room. "Unscheduled off world activation. Receiving Tok'ra IDC."

As the iris was opened as per Hammond's instructions, Sam smiled as she saw her father exit the wormhole and descend down the ramp. Joining General Hammond, her CO, and Teal'c in the gateroom, she met her father's open embrace with a kiss.

"Missed you, dad," she whispered in his ear. He had left earth almost immediately after Daniel ascended, just when she had needed him, just like when her mother died, leaving her then, too. Shaking her head, not wanting to continue those thoughts, she just hugged him tighter.

"Missed you too, Sam," He kissed her cheek and then held her at arms length. "George, everyone, we need to talk. There's a problem."

Hammond held out his arm. "Briefing room. Now."

"Hi, Jacob. You could at least say 'hi'."

Turning to Teal'c, Jack continued. "Don't these Tok'ra take Ettiquette 101?" The two teammates started to walk with Jack continuing his tirade. "I mean, don't we always say 'hi' when we gate somewhere and meet new people?"

"Before or after we show them our weapons, O'Neill?"

Already standing at the head of the briefing table 'General Hammond' gave them a look one would give their wayward children when bickering over something inconsequential. "Gentlemen...if you are quite done? Please take your seats."

Taking his seat, Jack continued. "Who's it gonna be this time, Jacob? Let's see, last time, it was Daniel...can't forget his one-way ticket to Goa'uld Central. The time before that...me, Carter and Daniel doing a piss-poor imitation of WWF wrestlers with those armbands. Teal'c's turn, now...he hates being left outta the loop."

"Colonel...that's quite enough!" 'Hammond' issued a warning.

"You have it half right Jack. It is Teal'c we need."

Jack turned to Teal'c and silently mouthed, "Told you so."

"But Jack...we need you, too."

"Dad?"

"Sorry Sam, you get to sit this one out."

Sam's eyes opened wide in shock. Daniel was gone... there was no way the remaining members of her team were going anywhere without her.

"A Tok'ra operative who had been a spy in Anubis' camp was returning to relay important information regarding weaponry. The problem is, the operative was captured, not by the Goa'uld but by the natives of the supposed 'safe planet' she had gated to."

"Oooohhhh....I got it, I got it," Jack said, wildly waiving his arm like a school boy with the correct answer. "The Tok'ra want Teal'c and me to gate to the planet and attempt a rescue."

"Yes, Jack...that's the gist of the story...give or take a few particulars. We need...the Tok'ra and the people of earth need to know what they're fighting, with regards to Anubis' weaponry. We need to get that operative home to glean her knowledge...before it's too late."

"Now we're getting to the good part. Why would it be too late, Jacob? Hmmm? Come on, you can tell us."

"Suffice it to say, Jack, the operative is an attractive, young woman on a hostile planet that is patriarchal in its society beliefs."

"This was a safe planet, because....?" Jack questioned.

Jacob ignored the question, continuing. "The Lineer of the planet use and abuse women, Jack. Abuse them to the point of killing them when the whim strikes them."

"So Teal'c and I get to ride our white horses and rescue the damsel in distress."

"Basically...yeah."

"General, with all due respect, I am at a loss as to why I cannot accompany Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill."

"Sam," her father answered, attempting to placate his daughter. "It is too dangerous. Women are the epitome of second class citizens..."

"But, General...." Sam pleaded, knowing that she did not have the ability to just wait by the Stargate for her guys to return.

"Major Carter, the answer is no." Turning to the Colonel, 'Hammond' continued, "Colonel...sorry to say, no option here. If the information the operative has is as important as believed, neither the Tok'ra nor earth can take the chance of the information being lost. Jacob, the coordinates to the planet?" 'Hammond' answered. Talin kept glancing at Carter, not believing that she had been stunned into silence.

"I'll give the coordinates to Sam."

"Major Carter, take the coordinates and program a MALP and UAV to depart the gate in 2 hours. Jacob, once the readings from the MALP and UAV return, arrangements will be made for your departure."

After everyone else stood and exited the room, Sam was left alone with General Hammond. "Permission to speak freely sir?"

"Of course, Major."

Sam cringed at the begging sound in her voice. "I need to go with the Colonel and Teal'c, Sir."

He answered her softly and with feeling. "Major, we just lost a valuable member of the SGC; a person we cared deeply for. I do not want to take the same chance with you. If it is not imperative for you to assist the Colonel and Teal'c, I will order you, if I have to, so stay put. Remember PX3593? Remember the Shavadai...I do not want a repeat of the incident with the blue dress, Major, is that understood?"

Without answering, Carter nodded her had in agreement.

"Dismissed."

Sam restrained herself from running out of the briefing room. Checking a few places, she found the Colonel and Teal'c in Daniel's office. Sam entered the room, eyes wide, she closed the door behind her, leaning up against it for support.

"Carter? You okay?" Jack asked concerned. She shook her head. The Colonel escorted his shaking 21C to the couch and motioned for Teal'c to retrieve a cup of water. Teal'c handed her the cup, which she accepted with shaking hands, finishing it in one gulp. She answered the Colonel's question in a quivering voice. "No, Sir. I think we have a problem."

"Come on, Carter, spill."

"We made a promise, never to mention the dress I wore when we gated to PX3593."

"Carter, refresh my memory...I'm old. I don't remember those numbers after the P."

Obtaining maximum frustration, Carter practically yelled, "Sir, PX3593...the Shavadai...capture...me having to wear that *blue* dress."

"Oh, *that* dress. No Carter, I promised never to mention it."

"As did, I MajorCarter."

"I know Daniel didn't, because he let me read his report before he sent it. So if it was never mentioned at the debriefing and no one mentioned it in their mission reports, why did the General just refer to it? He *knew* about the dress, told me he didn't want another incident like the one that occurred with that dress... and no one told him! Sir, what the *hell* is going on here?"

"Carter...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

* * *

Leske had been in the briefing room hundreds of times before. It was as familiar to her as the control room, back home. She had, unusually enough, always felt comfortable in this room. But at home, she had almost always been surrounded by the comforting presence of all of SG1, in a mostly friendly and relaxed atmosphere, the camaraderie a tangible thing.

Today, this time, though, she felt... well, 'uneasy' just didn't do it justice. She felt like she was on trial, which, she supposed she was. She was an intruder in this place, a representative of an alien people. An enemy. Being interrogated. With good reason. All she could do was hope that her implicit cooperation would serve to gain their trust.

Leske looked around the table, at the faces of General Hammond, the real Dr. Fraiser, and, of course, Daniel. How could she even look him in the eye... after what she had done to him. To his friends. It was unthinkable that she could have been a part of this, for so long. She put her elbows on the table and leaned her head down to rest in her hands. What could she possibly say to start making things right?

Leske was pulled violently from her thoughts by the entrance of one Sgt. Siler, carrying a laptop computer and a small jumble of wires. For the briefest of moments, Leske felt a smile touch her lips as her first instinct was to walk up and hug Ronar. She caught herself an instant before her lips spread to show a toothy grin. She had to remind herself that this wasn't *Ronar*. This was the *real* Sgt. Siler. Damn, but this was confusing.

"Sergeant, you have something for us?" the General asked.

"Yes, sir. We've been able to adapt the technology to our own so we could analyze the data," he responded, setting the laptop on the table and opening it up. The wires connected Leske's recording device to the laptop and a couple of the still-frames she had taken of Daniel's file were displayed on the screen.

Dr. Fraiser leaned into the table and turned the computer so she could see it better. She scrolled through the files, her lips moving slightly as she read them to herself.

"Doctor?" Hammond asked, folding his hands on the table.

"Well, sir... this appears to be Daniel's medical file. It's... well, it's flawless, so far as I can tell, sir. Just as I would do things."

"Is that all?" Hammond asked the room. Leske took this opportunity to jump in, head jerking away from her hands as she sat up straight.

"No, sir. Um, if I may?" she motioned to the laptop and Janet swung it around so Leske could play with it. Instead of putting her hands to the computer, she grabbed her own piece of technology still attached to it, manipulating a few buttons, and the screen changed.

"I assume you've already found the neural device?" she asked, giving Dr. Fraiser a sideways glance as she finished inputting her data.

"Well, yes... how did you..."

Janet stopped talking when Leske swung the screen back around to her, the display showing a schematic of the chip embedded in Daniel's brain.

"We put it there. Well, not me *specifically*, but..." Leske shrugged her shoulders as she looked back down at her hands, allowing Janet to peruse the information.

"Leske," said Daniel softly. She marveled at the man's infinite patience as she lifted her head. "What does it do? Did all of us have one?" he asked. Was that a *smile* starting to show on his face?

"Um, well... it's called a neurofilter. When you came to us originally through the gate, they implanted one in each of you, yes. Basically, they serve as a direct link between your brains and the computers controlling the Environment. All of your long- term memories became accessible, allowing us to build the holographic mainframe, program characters and situations, that sort of thing. They could also be used in reverse. To, um... alter your perception and behavior. In essence, um, mind control." She whispered the last few words, only loud enough for Daniel to barely hear. His minute smile faded in an instant as he sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.

At the head of the table, General Hammond bristled and straightened upon hearing the visitor's explanation. "Are you saying that your people have had *full* access to everything that Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Doctor Jackson, and Teal'c know?" he demanded. Leske nodded her head, unable to look at him for fear that his glare could kill. "All of our codes, protocols, defense information, allies... *everything*?!"

"Yes, sir," Leske whispered, hoping fervently that the ground would just open and swallow her up.

General Hammond didn't speak as he slowly rose from his chair, face frozen in an emotionless stare. Daniel knew that look. Dammit, but Daniel *knew* that look. He bolted out of his chair in hot pursuit.

"General!" he shouted as Hammond began descending the steps to the control room. "Please! Sir, you can't do this!" he pleaded, skidding to a halt as Hammond spun around to face him.

"Oh, I can't, can I? Well, Dr. Jackson, from what I've just heard, Earth has been at immediate risk for the last year without even knowing it. I cannot take any more chances now that we *are* aware of the threat." Daniel just gaped at him as the General continued down the steps. He threw a pleading look at Janet, who got up and followed him as he took the steps two at a time. Intrigued, Leske also rose to see what was going on.

In the control room, Daniel grabbed the General's shoulder, trying to talk to him again, but the man was a brick wall.

"Sergeant," he ordered Davis, sitting at the control station. "I want you to lock the coordinates for P8X904 out of the dialing computer permanently, and completely delete all of the GDO codes SG1 has ever had. Set the iris to automatically seal upon receipt of any of those codes, is that clear?"

"Ye... yes, sir..."

"Belay that order, Sergeant," Daniel shouted. That got Hammond's attention quick.

"Excuse me, *doctor*?" he responded, glaring daggers at the younger man.

"I told him to ignore your order, sir. You can't just leave them there!" Daniel shouted right back.

"Sergeant, you have your orders!" Hammond barked.

"Sir, wait! What if there's another option? What if I can *prove* to you that there's a way to get SG1 out of there without any further risk to Earth? I mean, think about it! They've had all that information for what, a year? And they haven't *used* any of it. They're not going to *attack* us, sir. If they were going to, they would have done it already!" Daniel pleaded, plunging the room into silence. Hammond's face began to soften.

Hammond touched Simmons' shoulder and shook his head at the man, silently telling him to hold off. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, consciously telling his heart to slow down. That was just too close. "All I'm asking is that we just sit down and talk about it. If we can't come up with anything solid in the next day or so, you go ahead and lock them out. But we *can* think of something, sir. I'm sure of it." Daniel didn't blink or breathe as the General considered his request.

"You have 24 hours, Dr. Jackson. After that..." Daniel broke out into a toothy grin.

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! You're doing the right thing!" Daniel exclaimed over his shoulder as he bounded out of the control room. On his way, he snagged Leske and pulled her out after him.

* * *

Chapter 6

Talin exited the Environment and entered the control room, removing the IHFG as he walked. He became uncharacteristically subdued as the command central as a whole stood and gave him a round of applause.

"Wonderful job sir."

"So convincing."

"Genius move to bring Jacob in."

"Can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve."

"Definite nomination for your portrayal of the General, sir."

Clapping his hands to bring order, he announced, "Okay folks, fun time is over. Now let's see what the remaining members of SG1 are up to. He looked around the room until his eyes fell on Markhen. "You...umm..." Talin snapped his fingers in Markhen's direction.

The unobtrusive, shy programmer stammered, pointing to himself. "Did you mean me, sir?"

"Of course, I mean you. What's your name?" Talin inquired.

"Markhen." The programmer tried to keep the tremor out of his voice, believing that Talin had stumbled across the movement to bring SG1 home.

"Well, Markhen, come up and take Leske's job... and welcome aboard the executive train." He pulled out her chair and motioned for Markhen to move up.

"Th..Thank you, sir." Markhen was horrified. His ability to blend into the background had been beneficial to the movement. His work in the far corner of the control room was imperative to the success of their mission. Now under the direct, watchful eye of the 'master,' his work in that quiet little corner would have to be curtailed immediately.

For the second time that day, the control room broke into applause as Markhen took Leske's seat. Plastering a fake smile on his face, his thoughts returned to his terminal, where he had been researching the ever elusive "blue dress" incident. He had observed a shift in emotions across Major Carter's face when Talin had mentioned that mission, leading Markhen to believe that something was amiss. He had just started sifting through the team's mission reports, when Talin made his announcement. Still believing that the Major's conversation with Talin as Hammond wasn't quite right, but not too sure why, was piquing Markhen's warning signals. Sighing, aware that this search would have to be put off until later, he placed Leske's headset on and turned to the viewing console in front of him.

He watched with growing interest and amusement as the "blue dress" was the topic of discussion amongst SG1 as they sat in Daniel's office...watched Talin's emotionless face. The normally bustling and noisy control room took on a false sense of quiet as it waited for Talin to make his decision to fix this mistake, the second in less than two days.

"Let's sit with this one folks, see where the players take it before we make any decisions. The worst case scenario...the finale happens sooner."

* * *

Daniel dragged Leske into his office, thrilled to discover that the security cameras he had destroyed had not been replaced. Wordlessly, he directed the young woman to his desk chair as he spun a stool around so he was facing her. Daniel just folded his hands in his lap and stared at Leske, waiting for her to start speaking. After all, if she really wanted to help he and his friends, she would naturally want to contribute.

Leske's eyes darted around the room. She looked to Daniel as though she was uneasy, despite the fact that her body language spoke only of comfort in the cluttered office. How many times over the last year had Daniel invited Janet in here for coffee, or to talk? How many times had that been Leske?

"Daniel... I... I really am sorry. I want you to know that," she whispered. He nodded his head in acknowledgement, but remained silent, hoping she would continue. "Not just for this... well, this whole thing, but... dammit, Daniel, it was all my fault! If I hadn't..." she trailed off, unable to continue.

"What? What was your fault?" he asked quietly, leaning slightly toward her.

"Everything. It was me. I... your books, a few months ago. I programmed them empty. And all of the old mission reports. That was me. I'm sorry... I made you think you were crazy or something. God... I never should have. You'd all probably be safer if I hadn't. In the Environment, but safe." She was on the verge of tears as she begged for absolution, for his forgiveness. He nodded almost imperceptibly.

"And, and then, when Jack wouldn't believe you... I never thought he'd go that far..."

"Jack has a way about him. He was upset with me... maybe without *reason* but he didn't *hurt* me or anything, he was just... upset."

Leske raised her head from her hands, a confused look on her face. "Jack...? What? No! I wasn't talking about Jack... well, I guess maybe I was, kind of, but... no, I meant *Talin*. I never thought *Talin* would go that far. Daniel, the only reason why Jack reacted the way he did when you went to him was because Talin tweaked his chip. He was afraid that if Jack believed you, his show would be over. He's been messing with both of your chips ever since. Apparently, your degrading friendship was good for ratings. Drama. It wasn't Jack, Daniel. He wasn't himself."

Daniel blinked in amazement. "And, in the gateroom... after he killed Reese and I..."

"Yeah. That was Talin, too," she said softly, avoiding his gaze once again.

Then, surprising even himself, Daniel began to laugh. A slow, quiet chuckle at first, then it grew into a hearty release of emotion. Of realization... joy and sadness and relief. Everything was okay. Thank God! Everything was okay! All was forgiven. Clean slate. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. For a moment, he was able to ignore that he and Jack had been so flagrantly violated and concentrate on the fact that none of it was real. None of it heartfelt. Everything was okay. Or it would be, anyway.

"Thank you," he finally said, recovering and wiping a tear from his eye. She was just staring at him like he was from outer space. That made him chuckle some more. Hell, to her, he *was* from outer space.

"Uh..." She shook her head. "What for?"

"Just... thanks. Thank-you for telling me that. For coming here. For trying to help. Thank-you. And if I don't remember to say it again when all of this is over, thank-you." He was smiling now. Genuinely smiling for the first time in as long as he could easily remember.

"You're welcome," she replied, feeling far more at ease. She finally met his eyes and smiled back. "Now, what are we going to do about getting your friends home?"

* * *

"No, they'd have thought of that. It's you're fault actually."

"How the hell is it my fault? It's you're damn planet."

"Yeah, well it was your memories that gave us the idea."

"Shit."

"Yeah. Well, from the last information I got, I honestly doubt anyone has been bored enough to change my numbers. My iris codes should still work."

"*Should* work. But we don't have any guarantees, right?"

"Right."

"And even if we do get onto the planet, through the iris, or whatever... how are we going to find them? I mean, won't somebody notice that I'm back and not supposed to be?"

"You could use the IHFG I brought."

"Sure, but then what are you gonna use? You'll be recognizable too."

Silence.

Daniel couldn't remember which little white Styrofoam cup on his desk still actually had coffee in it. He picked them up at random, throwing them disgustedly across the room until he found the one he wanted. He put it to his lips and savored its cold bitterness. Mmmm. Caffeine.

Hours had passed since he and Leske had retired to his office to brainstorm, and only hours were left before Hammond was going to lock out his friends. This was all very important stuff, but frankly, his brain was fried. And judging by the way she was idly spinning around in his desk chair, Leske's was, too.

They'd already collected everything that Leske brought with her and spread out the few devices on the floor. Daniel stood up and walked around the pile for the fifth time in the last hour, mentally cataloguing the wealth again. The recording device, laptop still attached, her equivalent of a GDO, a couple of data cards, the IHFG... maybe it was just the caffeine talking, but suddenly that last one looked familiar. Daniel bent down to pick up the round object.

"Hey, Leske? Where did you say you came up with this technology?" he asked, turning it over in his hands, examining it.

Leske joined him on the floor, sitting cross-legged across from him. "I didn't. That's something else we just... kind of picked up. One of the first shows we did, actually, several years ago. A small group of... well, really ugly aliens, came exploring through our stargate, hell-bent on taking over our planet. Lucky for us, they had one-track minds. They didn't even notice that the world they conquered was as holographic as they were. They disguised themselves using devices just like this one. That show only lasted a couple of months. People got tired of watching them just go after planet, after planet, after planet, after--,"

"Were these guys, like, *really* ugly? Kinda purply and growly?"

"Yeah. Real rude, too. Just thought they could walk in and--,"

"Of all the dumb luck! I don't believe it!" Daniel exclaimed, no longer paying attention to Leske.

"What?"

"These guys came here, too! God, I thought this looked familiar! It's not exactly the same as theirs, though. Is it?"

"Um, no. We copied their design and made some of our own. Picked their brains, if you could call them that, and got designs, schematics, manuals..."

"I think we may still have some of these around, from when they were here. Most of the aliens self-destructed when it became obvious that they were going to lose, but three of them weren't blown to pieces. The ones imitating me, Jack, and Major Davis. I think they got sent to Area 51 for study."

"Area 51?"

"Yeah. Nelles? Ring a bell? No... what would you know...? Oh! Give you an idea of how they run things over there, anyway, you know Maybourne?" Leske nodded at the familiar reference. "Well, he used to be in charge there. It's where a lot of the stuff we find goes. Scientists there study it and see if it has any practical applications for us."

"Do you think we could get them? I'm sure I'd be able to reprogram them. Then we won't have any problems moving around in the Environment. Daniel, this could really work!"

"Yeah, well. We have to get them first. I'll go talk to Hammond and see if he can make some calls. Keep your fingers crossed."

* * *

Carter left Daniel's office frustrated and confused. The Colonel and Teal'c agreed with her regarding the General's remark, but in actuality, the three members could not agree on what to do with the information.

"A possible foothold situation sir? ...Should we confront the General?"

"In all honesty, I'm not sure Carter. "

"Teal'c?"

"Except for the information that O'Neill conveyed to us today regarding DanielJackson's concerns, I have had no doubts or suspicions regarding the SGC."

"Me neither, Carter."

"Me neither, sir."

"Okay, for now, let's just sit on it. I know there is something more than meets the eye here, but I think just keeping our eyes and ears open...that's all we can do."

"God, I wish Daniel were here, Sir," Carter said, uncharacteristic tears threatening to overflow.

Hearing her name paged overhead to report to the control room, she wiped the tears on the backs of her hands and gave her teammates a lopsided grin.

* * *

Her father stood at her side as the MALP and the UAV were launched into the event horizon to the planet that Jacob had given the coordinates to. Once the two pieces of equipment met their mark, Jacob kissed Sam on the cheek and excused himself with promises of seeing her later. Inquiring if she knew where Jack and Teal'c were.

"In Daniel's office, dad." Turning to her father with tears in her eyes, she whispered, "I miss him, dad."

Jacob pulled his daughter to him in a quick embrace, kissing the top of her head. "I know Sam. I wouldn't have stopped with the healing device, but Jack said that Daniel *wanted* me to stop." For just a second, for the first time in a long time, when Sam hugged her father, he felt *normal*. Her stomach didn't go into little twists in response to Selmac and she reveled in it, forgetting to question the inconsistency. Maybe she was just getting used to it? She smiled, digging her forehead into his shoulder.

Sam nodded her head in agreement. "I know, but it doesn't make the hurt any less."

Jacob hugged his daughter a little tighter before releasing her with promises of a conversation later, after his briefing with the General, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c. She smiled at him sadly as she watched him depart.

* * *

"Priceless...priceless." Talin raised his clenched fists. "Yessss. Good girl, Major." There would not be a dry eye on the planet after that scene...Sorit was a consummate actor. His portrayal of Jacob/Selmac had won him numerous award nominations and this scene was a shining example of the smoothness with which he handled most situations.

"Okay folks," Talin said to the technicians in the control center, placing a hand on Marken's shoulder. "Switch primary cameras to O'Neill and Teal'c... umm...keep only secondary cameras on Carter. "

* * *

Chapter 7

The feedback from the planet started to arrive and Sgt. Siler handed her computerized copies of the readouts. Sam had spread them out on the work table studying the papers when a notation of some type in the corner of the first UAV reading caught her eye. Something that shouldn't have been there...in the corner were three little words written so tiny that it was quite fortuitous that Sam had seen them at all. Written in black pen in perfect handwriting were words that sent a chill down her spine, "Trust No One."

Sam raised her eyes from the paperwork at the table and found Sgt. Siler staring at her. He nodded his head in acknowledgement of his handiwork.

Sam pulled a stool over from the side and sat down. She slowly sorted through the remaining readouts. Unable to meet Siler's eyes she began to believe that maybe she had imagined it all when on the corner of the fourth map were the cryptic words, "All is not as it seems."

Eyes widening in confusion, she again glanced in the Sergeant's direction. He no longer had his focus on her, or the computer terminal, but somewhere to his left. Sam followed the direction of Siler's gaze, confusion leading to shock when she realized it lead to the security cameras.

Sam jumped as she felt a pressure on her shoulder.

"Whoa Carter. A little jumpy."

Looking over her shoulder at her CO, she took a few deep breaths to bring her pounding heart under control. "Sorry, sir. I was busy concentrating on these maps."

"So, how's it look?"

"Sir?"

"The planet, Carter. How's it look? Any baddies around?" The Colonel continued, pulling a stool up next to her and sitting down.

"Oh! Right. Uh, fine, sir. The terrain is a bit ugly, though. On the one side, the gate isn't out in the open, so..."

"Assuming there isn't anyone out lurking around those rock formations to the south, we shouldn't be sitting ducks. Swell," he finished, examining one of the plots himself.

"Right. And you should be fairly well covered all the way to the village, here. Due east of the Gate, about 6 clicks. Dad says that's the most likely location of the Tok'ra operative. She shouldn't have gotten too far from the gate, and this is the nearest village for miles."

"So," Jack sighed, leaning back. "Should be a piece of cake."

"Doesn't make me feel any better, sir," she mumbled, pulling her hair off her forehead with both hands.

"C'mon," Jack ordered, rising from the stool and offering a hand.

"Huh?" she looked up at him puzzled. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Come. On. Commissary. Food. Coffee. Jell-O," he clarified. She smiled and took his hand, allowing him to help her up.

"Lead on, MacDuff," she said, gesturing grandly toward the door. He shot her a look of surprise, amazed that he hadn't had to fight harder to get her to join him. Smiling and shaking his head, he walked out, Carter in tow.

* * *

Carter and O'Neill sat down at a quiet table in the corner of the commissary, each with a cup of hot coffee in hand.

"So..." Jack muttered, taking a sip of his coffee. Sam set her cup down and looked at him.

"So... what? Sir, are you okay? You're acting kind of strange."

"*Strange*? I'm acting strange? What, like it's such a terrible thing for me to want to tear you away from your all consuming MALP readouts to have some coffee before we leave?" He made a show of looking hurt, but wasn't that successful. Sam smiled.

"Well, not *terrible*, sir. Just... weird."

"That a technical term, Carter?" he smiled back. "No, I know. It's just that... well, we're... what? I guess 'starting over' works, and now..."

"The timing just really sucks."

Jack laughed a bit at her appraisal of the situation. "Yeah. It's too soon to get split up. I mean, hell, with our luck..." his face darkened suddenly and he eyes fell to the table. He hadn't meant to go that far. Sam's smile faded as well.

"What?" she demanded softly. "With our luck, what? What were you gonna say?"

"Nothing. It's not important." Jack picked up his mug and took a sip. Sam blinked.

"No... you were gonna say that with our luck, one or both of you is gonna get killed, or maimed, or captured, and..." she trailed off.

"And leave you here alone. That's what *you* were gonna say, isn't it?"

Sam didn't answer, but folded her hands on the table and stared at them. Into her field of vision crept another hand, which laid itself on hers. She looked up.

"Sam, we're *not* going to leave you alone. I promise. We'll be just fine, and we'll be happier knowing that you're still here, safe and sound. That *we're* not going to loose *you*."

"You know, you can't just promise something like that."

"Sure, I can. And I always keep my promises, Carter. You know that. Just keep that in mind while you're pacing around the control room fretting. Teal'c, me, your Dad... we'll be home before you know it. And all in one piece, too. I promise."

"I wish I was going with you."

"Yeah," he smiled. "A little piece of me wishes that, too. But a bigger piece is really glad you're not. Look, if it'll make you feel better, I'll give you something to do while we're gone."

Sam's ears perked up. "Like what?"

"Well," he said, leaning in closer and taking a quick glance around the room. "You know that little collection of 'concerns,' we've been building? I want you to keep your ear to the ground. See if you can dig anything up. I know we don't really have anything to go on but ooky feelings, but then, we've never really been actively *looking* for anything out of the ordinary before." Sam frowned a bit. "What?" Jack asked, upon registering her pensive expression.

"Things like cryptic little notes on UAV printouts?" she asked.

"Huh?" Jack replied, a bit confused. Sam took her cue and delved into an explanation.

"While I was going over the pictures that the UAV sent back... the ones I was looking at when you startled me. That's the reason I was so distracted. On two different plots I found little notes. One read, 'Trust no one,' and the other said, 'All is not as it seems.' When I looked around to see if I could figure out who wrote them, Sgt. Siler was staring at me. I think he may have actually nodded, too. Maybe he's trying to tell us something."

"Like what, Scully? That there's a vast alien conspiracy to take over the world?"

Sam just stared at him.

"Okay, bad example." He took another sip of his coffee. "Okay, well... talk to him then. See if he'll give you a little more to go on. But whatever you do, be tactful. If he does know something, he probably doesn't want to bring it up out in the open."

"Yes, sir," she replied, as they both rose to leave.

"Oh, and Carter?"

"Sir?"

"I'll be expecting a full report on the situation *when* we get back." She smiled brightly at him.

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

"*This* is your plan? Doctor Jackson, I'm sorry, but..." General Hammond spread his arms and sighed in defeat. He'd been trying throughout Daniel's presentation to come up with some argument against his plan, but was unable to put anything together except 'Are you *serious*?'

"But what, sir? It delivers just what I promised. It's a way for us to get SG1 back without further risking the SGC. Since we'll have new GDO codes, you can go ahead and lock out all of our old ones. We'll be able to get in without being recognized... hell, Leske can even program the IHFGs to allow us to change who we impersonate. There's no reason for it not to work, sir." Daniel spoke up, pleading with his eyes.

"I'm sure it will work, son." Not. "But this is all assuming you make it through the gate in the first place. I understand that Ms. Leske has her own codes to get through her planet's iris, but there's a good chance that those codes will have been disabled. For all we know, this could be a one-way trip to nowhere."

Daniel's eyes strayed from the General to rest momentarily on Leske, who stood to the side of the room, newly clothed in an air-force issue blue jumpsuit, arms crossed tightly across her chest. She gave a slight nod in response to the question in his eyes.

"We're willing to take that risk, sir."

"What if I'm not, Doctor?" Touché. Hammond had him there. The SGC was, after all, under his command.

Upon hearing the finality in the General's voice, Daniel froze. His stress level was becoming dangerous... he already had a killer headache. He squinted his eyes shut and took off his glasses to massage between his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his composure. Why did it look like Janet's chair was floating? Somewhere in his pained head, he could hear Jack asking if he'd slept this week. Ha.

"Daniel?" Opening his eyes upon hearing his name, Daniel was assaulted by the blazing lights of the briefing room. He never remembered them being that bright. "Daniel? Can you hear me? Are you alright?" Janet? His ears were ringing. He blinked hard, trying to make the floating splotches in front of him disappear.

"Um, yeah. Fine. I must just be tired," he heard himself say through a white haze. Janet stood up and slowly walked over toward him.

"Yeah, I'll say. General, this discussion can wait an hour or so, can't it? I'd like to take Dr. Jackson down to the infirmary."

"Um... Janet... I don't think I'm gonna..." Daniel's eyes closed and he pitched forward, Janet reaching him just in time to ease him to the floor.

* * *

"What's wrong with him?" Leske asked Janet in a soft voice. Daniel was lying on a bed in the infirmary. If she didn't know better, Leske would have thought he was just sleeping. Except for the IV in his hand, he just looked to be in peaceful repose.

The two women were standing around his bed, Leske with her arms tight around herself again, Janet flipping through her patient's chart.

"I don't know. I think it has something to do with that chip in his brain. The frequency of the signal it's emitting has-'"

"Chip? The neurofilter? But I thought you took it out," Leske exclaimed, her eyes widening. Her obvious distress immediately brought Janet to alert. She met the alien woman's eyes with a glare that could melt ice.

"No, we haven't. We've been waiting for a neurologist to fly in from back east," she responded slowly and deliberately, setting down the chart. "*Does* Daniel's condition have anything to do with that chip? What aren't you telling us?"

"I... I thought you removed it! You said you found it... didn't bring it up again... I just thought that you'd figured it out without any help."

"Why would we need help, Leske?" Janet was doing her damnedest to reign in her emotions, but as she saw it, this woman's oversight had caused a dear friend to fall into a coma.

"Because. Unless it is removed from the patient within a few days of being disconnected from our computer system, it begins to fail. It's been hooked into his brain for so long, that it's become almost like a part of him. Losing that chip without disconnecting it properly is like... like performing a lobotomy or something. It could kill him! I thought you'd figured that out already!"

Janet didn't hesitate in assuming her 'power monger' stance, as the Colonel liked to call it. She was ready to shoot the other woman, who was beginning to shy away from her like a frightened child. Served her right. But Janet reminded herself that she still needed Leske's help. She could kill her after this was all over.

"How much time do we have? Is it too late?" Janet asked, praying that Leske had the information she needed to save Daniel's life.

"How fast can that... what? Neuronist?"

"Neurologist."

"Right. How fast can he get here?"

"We were expecting him in a couple of days. He couldn't be spared right away."

Leske's heart fell upon hearing that. A couple of days. Too long. "Do... do you think you could do it?" she asked tentatively. Janet's jaw dropped as she considered the suggestion.

No. Janet could most certainly *not* do it. She might be a cracker-jack pathologist, a fine physician, and a pretty good surgeon when the situation called for it, but she was certainly no brain surgeon. She could not operate if she wasn't qualified. She could kill the patient! One who would probably die anyway... but still! She had taken an oath. She couldn't possibly do this. Could she?

"Doctor?"

"I'm thinking."

"I could help you."

"Yeah, like you helped by *not* telling me about this sooner? Christ! This whole thing could have been avoided!" Janet had tried to keep her tongue in check, but the situation was irking her tremendously. Leske's eyes and shoulders fell upon taking Janet's sting.

"I'm sorry. Janet, I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't know." Leske whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

"Yeah, well there's a *lot* you don't know."

"I *do* know how to fix this."

Janet softened a bit upon hearing Leske's plea for understanding. She didn't doubt that the young woman really did want to help. "How?"

"It's all in with the information I brought. The recording device."

"With Daniel's medical records? That schematic you showed me?"

"Yeah," Leske replied. She was starting to relax, now, focusing on the situation. She had to help Daniel. They hadn't come this far only to be stopped by a stupid little neurofilter.

Janet sighed and closed her eyes. In. Out. In. Out. She tried to bring herself into balance again. To work on a problem who's solution would have dire consequences. She came to a decision. She had to do something, to try.

"Let me take a look at those files."

* * *

Chapter 8

"Chevron two, encoded," came Carter's voice over the PA. Unable to take a more active roll in the mission, she had insisted that Simmons move over and allow her to activate the gate for her team.

Jack stood at the bottom of the ramp, in full kit and flanked by Teal'c and Jacob Carter, ready to go off and save some Tok'ra operative who had skillfully managed to get herself captured. Christ, with his luck, it would be Anise.

"Chevron three, encoded."

The briefing had been surprisingly... brief. Jacob had been unusually forthcoming with the information he had and Jack was actually feeling quite confident... if not for that sinking feeling that he was missing something.

"Chevron four, encoded."

Jack glanced over at Teal'c, who seemed lost in thought. He began going over the mission again in his own head, following his friend's example, when the blast doors opened, distracting him momentarily. In walked a panting Sgt. Siler carrying a Zat.

"Chevron five, encoded."

"Sir! I'm glad I caught you! The Armory Officer on duty stopped me and told me to get down here right away. He was double checking his logs and thinks he may have given you a defective Zat. He wanted me to give you a new one, just in case, sir." Siler handed Jack the new weapon, who took it cautiously, examining it.

"How can he even tell which one's which?" Jack asked, preparing to relinquish the old one.

"Chevron six, encoded."

Siler shrugged and held out his hand. "Ours is not to question why, sir. God only knows."

Jack smirked and handed over the old Zat before holstering the new one. "Thanks Sergeant. Appreciate the effort."

Siler nodded and made a hasty retreat as the seventh chevron ka-chunked into place.

"Chevron seven, locked. Wormhole engaged," Carter said, as the event horizon plumed out toward the three waiting men before settling back into the familiar blue pool.

"SG1, you have a go. We'll expect you back within twenty-four hours," General Hammond said over the PA. Jack turned around and glanced up into the control room, giving Carter a casual salute. She smiled and leaned toward the microphone.

"Good luck, sir. Come back safe, guys," she said. Jack turned back toward the event horizon and gestured for his companions to start up the ramp.

His last thought before passing through was, *Am I imagining things, or did that gate just flicker?*

* * *

Carter gasped quietly, blinking hard. Had she really just seen what she thought she had seen? Well, if she had really seen something, then the guys would *definitely* have seen it, and the Colonel surely would have aborted, or stepped back, or *something*. It was probably just her imagination. Nerves. She was just a little apprehensive, that was all. Instead of feeling sick to her stomach or getting all itchy, she was just experiencing mild hallucinations. The gate *so* did *not* just flicker. Hallucinations. Yeah, that was it. She probably just needed to get some sleep.

"Major? You okay, Ma'am?" The sound of Lieutenant Simmons' voice snapped her back to reality in an instant, her recollection of that... anomaly with the gate suddenly becoming a vague, dreamed memory. It had never happened.

"Want your seat back so soon, Lieutenant?" She smiled as best she could, trying very hard to make it look sincere, as she pushed her chair away from the console and slowly stood. She ignored whatever response the Lieutenant had made, opting instead to high-tail it out of the control room.

They were gone. Her friends. Her family. They had abandoned her, and suddenly, her conversation with the Colonel a few hours earlier began to fade into the background of her memory. It tried to fade, anyway, but she held onto it. Grasped his promise to return for dear life. It was all she had left, right then. That, and the 'assignment' the Colonel had given her.

A shiver ran down her spine as she contemplated just how *alone* she was. The people she passed on her way to her lab didn't feel real anymore... like ghosts, or shadows. They nodded and spoke to her, but she didn't respond. Why should she talk to someone that wasn't really there? Why did everything suddenly feel so different?

Lost in thought, she turned a corner. Suddenly, there was a strong hand over her mouth and an arm across her collarbone. Instincts kicking in, she struggled as her attacker pulled her into an open supply closet.

* * *

Jack, Teal'c, and Jacob had entered the wormhole with their weapons drawn, ready for an ambush upon exiting on the other side. The second he emerged from the event horizon on P9H-742, Jack's attention focused on combing his surroundings for threats. Carter's analysis of the area surrounding the gate had been right on. And, for once, Jack felt prepared.

After a quick recon of the area, Jack gave the all-clear and Jacob gestured for the group to get moving... in the exact *opposite* direction of the village. Jack looked at him for a moment, puzzled.

"Uh, Jacob?"

"Yes, Jack," the older man replied, making a concerted effort to sound annoyed. That struck Jack as a little odd. Jacob had never had to try to be annoyed with Jack before. It usually just came so naturally. Jack tried to shrug it off. He must be getting paranoid in his old age.

"Isn't the village *that* way?" Jack said, pointing to where Carter had shown the route to be.

"Now, why would we be going to the village?" Jacob put his hands on his hips and spoke in that 'I'm the Dad, so I know better' voice that drove Jack nuts. He couldn't imagine how Carter could have put up with it all her life.

Jack was taken aback by the innocent sounding question and threw a sideways glance at Teal'c, who predictably raised an eyebrow in response. Jack was confused.

"Well, maybe because that's where you said that Tok'ra of yours would be, before we left."

"I never said anything of the sort. There's a network of caves *this* way, where I think she's probably hiding." Jacob pointed toward the southwest and the really icky looking terrain that Carter said they would be able to avoid, going to the village.

Jack's stomach did a 180. One of the Carters was lying to him. He turned to Teal'c, well aware of the fact that Jacob was mentally tapping his foot in impatience.

"Teal'c, what did *you* hear?" Teal'c thought for a moment, as though sifting through a vast amount of information in his brain.

"I do not recall being given that specific information, O'Neill. You mentioned that it had been given to you, and I did not feel it necessary to pursue the topic further. I am sorry."

Jack winced at his response. Damn. He usually told Teal'c everything. Why would it have slipped his mind this time? And why would Teal'c not think that that information wasn't pursuit-worthy? The funny feeling like he was missing something was slowly becoming more and more pronounced as Jack's recollection of the day's events and conversations started to fuzz ever so slightly. Just enough for him to be a little unsure about what he really knew. An unsure mission commander was not a good thing.

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. "Fine. We'll go that way and then we can make camp in the cave network tonight. Jacob, take point."

Jacob nodded his assent and the group moved out in the waning light.

* * *

Leske couldn't stand it anymore. The two women were sitting in Janet's office for what seemed like hours, the doctor pouring over the records in front of her, occasionally raising a question for Leske to answer, otherwise ignoring her.

Leske's body was physically exhausted, but her mind would not quiet long enough for her to relax. She couldn't help thinking about Daniel in the next room, his need to save his friends. Thinking about his friends on her world, not even aware of what Daniel was going through for them.

"Leske. Leske!" Dr. Fraiser called impatiently. Dr. Fraiser looked at the other woman in concern. The doctor rapped on her desk to get Leske's attention.

Leske jumped turning to Dr. Fraiser apologetically. "Sorry..."

"Leske, we don't have time for your daydreaming. Stay with me here." Sliding the file across to where Leske was sitting she asked, "Those numbers next to the ID number of the neurofilter...what are they?"

"The codes...ohmygod the codes. We can use..." Excitement to frustration flashed through Leske's eyes in seconds.

"What codes, Leske?"

"We can't use them. It's won't make a difference." Leske was berating herself for being so stupid and not taking with her an NfDaD. Lowering her face into her cupped hands, her shoulders shook with quiet sobs. She had thought of the medical records, the iris codes, and everything else... but *that*. The hand-held device they needed was sitting right on Dr. Fraiser's desk on her world.

Janet's persistent voice was beginning to penetrate Leske's haze of self pity. Leske raised her head, wiping tears with the back of hand. Swallowing, she realized she was going to have to explain to this woman, how her incompetence was going to possibly kill Daniel.

"On my planet, we don't use...nerolo... doctors to remove the filters. We use a device called a Neurofilter Deactivating Device or DaD for short. The codes you see next to the ID number in Daniel's medical file are the codes to deactivate his neurofilter. When every filter is implanted, the codes are set by the unit that implants the filters."

"Leske, do doctors insert the neurofilters?"

Leske glanced at the doctor, a look of confusion on her face "Like operate? Open the skull and place the filter in place? NO. Even we would not be that inhumane." Confusion changing to disgust on Leske's face.

Softly Janet asked her, "How did you think I was going to remove it, Leske? I was going to do brain surgery. That is what a neurosurgeon does."

"To remove a filter, you would cut into Daniel's skull? How can you be so barbaric?"

Throwing up her hands in frustration. Janet was practically screaming at her. "How the hell do you *expect* me to go and get it, Leske? Give me an answ..." Janet paused her eyes widening with understanding. "Leske, the codes deactiviate the device, correct?"

"Yes, but we don't have a DaD..."

"These neurofilters run on an emitting a small EM field."

"Yes..."

"What happens to the devices when they are deactivated?"

"To my knowledge, they become absorbed into the body. I'd expect there to be some headaches and dizziness until the unit is completely absorbed."

Headaches and dizziness were a much more doable side effect than recovering from brain surgery and then attempting gate travel to a hostile, alien world. Janet knew that Hammond was eventually going to acquiesce to Daniel's demands, but never if he was going to have brain surgery. Daniel would never recover properly knowing his inactivity was causing his friends further distress...it would become a Catch 22.

Taking a deep breath she asked, "Do you think we could build a DaD with the schematics and your knowledge of the EM transmission and match the codes?" Janet didn't wait for an answer as she paged Sgt. Siler to her office.

* * *

Janet took the printout from Daniel's most recent EEG, anxiety evident on her face as she reviewed the results. Rolling the paper up and placing it in her lab coat pocket, Janet walked over the infirmary bed that Daniel as lying in. Checking the pulse ox meter, mentally recording his heart rate and respiration from the various monitors surrounding the bedside, confirming what she already knew. "Fight this Daniel. Goddamn it, this time *we* can't do it without you". She gripped his hand and tickled his palm, hoping for any type of response. Nothing. Time was running out.

Janet ran down the hall to Sam's lab. Amazingly, Hammond had fought to keep Daniel's and Sam's offices intact as onsite research areas, so this was the best equipped place for Leske and Sgt. Siler to perform their miracles.

Janet ran into the room. "Is it ready? It needs to be ready, like *now*."

Leske turned around to face Janet. "Why? We should have more time than this. It couldn't have been more than 48 hours. The filters will stay intact longer than that before they self destruct."

"Well obviously, human physiology may be a little different than yours. Because in about 8 hours, that piece of equipment that *your* world placed in *my* friend's head is going to self destruct. " Glancing at her watch Fraiser continued, "And guess what, that's about 10 hours off your 48 hour mark. So the next words I better hear out of your mouths is that the DaD is ready now and it is going to work."

Siler and Leske answered simulteneously, "It's ready." 'As for working, that's another story,' thought Leske nervously, as she took the bastardized DaD off the lab table and handed it to Janet.

"This is it?" Janet asked incredulously, gazing down at what looked like an oral temperature wand and key pad base.

"That's it, Dr. Fraiser. You see it works like..."

"Not now, Sergeant. You can explain it to me when Dr. Jackson is up and around."

A few minutes later, Janet and Leske were standing over Daniel's bedside. "Would you mind very much if I did this Janet? I just feel the need to make things right here."

Janet wanted to rip the device out of her hands and deactivate the device in Daniel's head herself. She didn't trust her...didn't trust any of this idea. Instead, she begrudgingly handed the device to Leske.

"I will take the keypad and punch in the codes that were in Daniel's medical records." Tilting the device towards Janet, Leske continued her explanation. "The numbers will start to blink until each one is found and deactivated. When deactivated, they will revert back to a '0' in its place."

"Hold it...this seems too easy," Janet commented. Nothing with Daniel was ever this easy.

"Well...you have a time constraint in finding the numbers."

"Knew it. Knew it was something...how long?...20...30 minutes?" Fraiser asked, her patience drawn tightly.

"Five minutes," Leske mumbled.

"FIVE MINUTES?...oh, pray tell what happens if you can't deactivate it in the five minutes...wait...it self destructs, then."

"Right," Leske whispered, ashamed.

Janet hated this. Hated relinquishing the care of her patient to another...one that she didn't even trust, never mind she was an alien and had abducted her friends for twelve months and one friend was lying here...... "Leske, just do it."

Leske punched in the six numbers she found in Daniel's folder. Positioning the wand in the center of his forehead...one number locked.....two numbers locked....three numbers locked...fourth number...the fourth number wouldn't lock and Leske looked at Dr. Fraiser with a panicked look in her eyes. "I can't get the 4th number to lock."

At that precise moment Daniel's monitors started to go crazy. "Leske," Fraiser shouted..."DON'T' YOU DARE QUIT ON ME NOW! God, he's crashing! Finish what you started...!"

Leske closed her eyes and placed the wand over Daniel's forehead. Concentrating, she heard the beep signifying that the fourth number had locked and returned to the '0' position. Fifth number locked...Sixth number locked. Leske and Dr. Fraiser breathed a collective sigh of relief. The monitors returned to normal and a low moan brought their attention back to the figure in the bed.

"Daniel. How you feeling?" Dr. Fraiser asked, clicking on her penlight.

"Shine that penlight in my eyes, and I will barf all over your labcoat and shoes."

"I'll give you something for the nausea and...."

"Headache...bad headache." Daniel attempted to sit up, ripping off the electrodes in the process. "Gotta talk to the General about getting the devices from Area 51. .."

"Dr. Jackson, you're not going anywhere for awhile," General Hammond said, upon entering the infirmary.

"General Hammond, I need to get the devices from..." Daniel replied, rubbing the front of his head. "...from Area ... Shit Janet, what is that?" he asked, attempting to grab the IV line that the doctor was injecting medication into.

"Painkiller and a sedative...you need to sleep, and I need to run some more tests later," Janet said, disposing of the empty syringe.

"NO!" Daniel shouted emphatically. "Their time is running out. I can't stay in the infirmary again, not like before with the replicators, while they go...please, Janet. I need to go." Daniel felt his eyes close and he was fighting it every inch of the way.

"Dr. Jackson, the devices you requested are on their way from Area 51 to be refitted. By the time you wake up, you will be good to go."

Daniel rubbed his eyes, attempting to clear his blurry vision. "Sorry General, that is not acceptable. I need to go now. I need to be awake and aware...to fine tune the plan." Pointing to the IV with a shaking hand. "This isn't helping." He rubbed his head in obvious discomfort.

Janet stepped forward to Daniel's bedside. Grabbing his hands she forced them down to his side and pushed him gently onto the bed. "The reason the pain medication isn't helping is because you need to relax." Daniel's attempt to disconnect the IV tubing was thwarted by Dr. Fraiser. Daniel fought a losing battle against the various medications running through his IV. Eyes closing, he turned away from Janet mumbling about payback being a bitch. Dr. Fraiser laughed and covered the now slumbering archeologist with the infirmary issued blanket.

Janet noticed that Leske was standing by the foot of Daniel's bed, the DaD still held in her trembling hands. Janet walked over to her and gently removed it. "He'll be okay, Leske. You did fine, he did fine."

"Dr. Fraiser, as soon as you are confident concerning Dr. Jackson's condition," the General said, "I need to see both you and Leske in my office."

"Yes, Sir," they both replied.

"I think there is something we need to discuss."

* * *

Chapter 9

As the door closed behind Sam and her attacker, she let herself go limp, forcing him to adjust his grip on her. As he did, she slipped down through his arms and twisted, surprising him with an elbow to his nose. He grunted in pain and drew his hands up to his face. Taking advantage of his distraction, she hurriedly turned and ran for the door. She was a step away, when he surprised her by grabbing her wrist.

"Major, wait! Please!," came a nasally plea from behind her. It sounded suspiciously like Siler... with a broken nose. Sam took a deep breath, preparing to defend herself further, but turned toward him nonetheless, primarily out of a morbid curiosity.

"You'd better have a *really* good explanation for this, Sergeant," she said when she saw that it was, in fact, the base handy-man. Siler winced in response, touching his hand lightly to his nose every second or so.

"You... you broke my nose!" he replied, voice dripping with astonishment.

"Well, what'd you expect? I mean you ambush me, pull me into a closet..."

"Yeah," he nodded. "You're right. Sorry. I guess I had that coming."

Sam nodded gruffly. "Damn straight! Now, are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on, or am I gonna have to bring you up on charges?" she demanded. Siler nodded slightly and gave his nose one last tweak before responding.

"You got those notes earlier," he began. She nodded. "Well, that's the bottom line, Major. No one here is really who they say they are. No one except you, O'Neill, Teal'c, and... Dr. Jackson, before..."

"Before he died," Sam finished. He nodded. "And I'm supposed to believe this?" she asked incredulously, head tilting to one side. "I mean, ya gotta admit, this little story you've come up with is hardly believable. Not who they say they are in what way, exactly? What, are you all like aliens or something?" she continued, unable to suppress a small grunt of laughter.

His stone cold expression of assent sobered her immediately and he motioned for her to join him sitting on the floor. They both lowered themselves to the concrete. "You're serious," Sam commented as she got comfortable. He nodded.

"So... if you're not Siler, who are you?"

"My name is Ronar, and to you, I suppose I *am* an alien. Though in truth, it is *you* who are alien to *my* world." She just stared at him in disbelief. Ronar shook his head in frustration. "You don't believe me."

"No, I don't believe you. Quite frankly, I'm waiting for one of your maintenance guys to come barging in through that door with a Polaroid, ready to take a picture of the look on my face when you yell, 'Gotcha!' No, I don't believe you."

"Well, honestly, I don't see what's so hard to believe. I mean, stuff like this has happened to you before. I mean, think about all the times in your past that you've been fooled... Hathor's base, those aliens that were able to look like you, the memory stamp on that ice-age planet, Lieutenant Tyler... well, actually, he was one of ours, but that should just go even further to show you... the human mind can be a very pliable thing, Major."

Sam blanched as this guy who really looked exactly like Siler ran down a list of instances that the real Siler could never have been aware of in such detail. "How do you know all of this?" she asked, her eyes wide with astonishment and sincere curiosity. If he was telling the truth, did that mean these... people, whoever they were, had access to their memories?

"There are, uh, devices implanted in your brains that serve as a direct link between your minds and the mainframe computers. They can't *read* your thoughts right now, or anything, but when they were first put in, they were able to download your long-term memories." Ronar paused to look at his watch, then glanced up at the security camera in the corner.

Sam was starting to think that he might be telling her the truth. That what he was telling her could be possible. But she'd never thought for a moment that the minute suspicions she, the Colonel, and Teal'c had had would amount to something of such magnitude. "I mean, I thought maybe... *maybe*... we were being tricked somehow by the Kelonans, that maybe there was more to just Daniel's death than meets the eye, but what you're saying..." she said.

Ronar just shook his head at her as she trailed off, seemingly unwilling to share any more information just then. "I really can't keep you any longer, now, they'll be starting to look for you, soon."

"Look for me? Who?"

"Them. I reprogrammed this camera for a few minutes, but they'll want to override momentarily. We have to go, Major. Just... please be careful who you trust. Even yourself." And with that, he stood and left, closing the locker door behind him and leaving Sam alone with her thoughts.

If she couldn't trust herself, who *could* she trust? This Ronar guy? And what about Teal'c and the Colonel? And her Dad? If they could take memories from her, could they influence her as well? Was that why she couldn't trust herself? Sam shook the wealth of sudden and unpleasant thoughts from her head as she stood up to leave.

Back in the corridor on her way to her lab, she tried to wrap her brain around the information she'd just been given. Was it really possible that everything around her was a lie? God, she hoped the guys were okay. She really couldn't do this alone.

* * *

"Uh, Jacob? I have a *really* bad feeling about this," Jack whispered harshly to the Tok'ra as the three men sought cover in a patch of dense brush. Apparently, Anubis' Jaffa, who were *not* supposed to be a problem on this mission, had increased their presence on the planet and decided that the cave network SG1 had been heading for was a great place to set up their camp. As the group approached, they realized too late that the area they had entered was *crawling* with Jaffa.

"No, really, Jack? I'd have never guessed," Jacob replied, throwing Jack a look that had 'Well, *duh*' written all over it. Jack rolled his eyes as Jacob redirected his attention to the binoculars in his hands. He looked around the Jaffa compound for a minute as Jack and Teal'c sat back on their heels, weapons up and eyes peeled.

"Well, on the upside, we found our operative," Jacob commented, finally, handing Jack the binoculars. Sure enough, in the center of the camp, a woman, who was quite attractive despite the conspicuous bruising of her face, was locked in a smallish looking cage, guarded by two Jaffa. For the time being, it looked like she was being relatively ignored, save her small 'honor guard.'

"Upside. Right," huffed Jack, as he lowered the binoculars from his face. "So, what's the plan?"

"She does not appear to be in good condition, O'Neill," said Teal'c, attempting to bring as much relevant information to light as possible before formulating any kind of plan. Jack nodded.

"And she's guarded. Not to mention the fact that, right now, that camp is looking an awful lot like Grand Central Station," added Jacob. Sure enough, the compound was bustling with activity.

"Teal'c? After it gets dark, about how many Jaffa do you think would still be out and about?" Jack asked.

"The number of Jaffa roaming the compound will be greatly reduced. I believe it would be in our favor to attempt a rescue after nightfall," Teal'c replied, picking up Jack's train of thought. He nodded in agreement with his friend and turned back to Jacob.

"So, we wait until it gets dark. Teal'c and I will go in and take out the guards and cover you while you release your buddy in there, then we run like hell, how's that?" Jack decided. Jacob nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. Knew there was a reason to keep you around." Jacob smiled and Jack rolled his eyes. Carter should get a medal for putting up with him so gracefully.

* * *

Jack munched quietly on a Power Bar as they waited for the population of the camp to settle down for the night. The light of the full moon filtered through the canopy of leaves above them and Jack couldn't help but think that this would be a great place to go camping. He stifled a laugh. Sometimes he amazed even himself with the crap that popped into his head when he was bored.

Jacob was propped up on his elbows, peering through the binoculars, keeping an eye on the situation in the compound. Teal'c was off next to a tree a few feet away, trying to get a few more minutes of Kel-no-reem in before the impending battle.

"Jack," Jacob whispered, commanding the Colonel's full attention. Jack dropped his Power Bar and crawled over to join Jacob.

"What's up?" he whispered back.

Jacob didn't move the binoculars from his face. "Things are pretty quiet down there, now. I think this is the best chance we're gonna get. You might want to go and rouse Teal'c from his Kel-no-reem."

"I am awake, General Carter." Teal'c had overheard the hushed conversation and crawled over to the two men, startling them with his sudden presence. Jack smiled a bit to himself as Jacob nearly threw his binoculars into the air as a reflex action.

"Fine. Great. Wonderful. Teal'c, if you ever do that again, I'm going to shoot you myself," Jacob whispered. Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

"Much fun as that might be, Jacob, don't you think it's about time we get going?" Jack smiled as he prodded the older man to focus on business. Jacob smiled.

"Right. I'll give you guys two minutes to start clearing the way, then I'll follow you down. Good luck."

"Right. Luck," Jack replied as he and Teal'c began crawling through the brush and down into the compound. He still had a really bad feeling about the whole situation, and it was getting worse rather than better. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as Teal'c broke away from him, heading in the direction of the larger-looking guard a few feet from the Tok'ra's cage. Jack took a deep breath and moved quickly, but stealthily toward the other.

The guard was looking away from him, and Jack hoped to God that he would stay that way. This would be a whole lot easier if he could just pick him off without getting into a big hand to hand brawl. He would have liked to just shoot him from a safe distance, but with the echo potential of the rocky landscape, something that loud was just out of the question. The idea was to do this quietly and with as little interference as possible. That meant no loud weapons. Not even a Zat.

The one break they had, was that the Jaffa were not wearing their helmets, allowing Jack and Teal'c access to their heads. As Jack approached his prey, he lifted his arms and deftly wrapped them around the guard's head, then pulled and twisted, breaking his neck with little more sound than that of his vertebrae cracking.

Jack lowered the dead man to the ground and searched out Teal'c, who had made similar progress a short distance away. Having completed their respective tasks, the two men stood and looked at each other. Teal'c nodded his head in the direction of their previous hiding spot, silently asking what was keeping Jacob. Jack glanced over toward the brush and then back at Teal'c, shrugging.

He was about to turn to the cage and free the Tok'ra himself, when he was startled by the report of a Beretta firing somewhere in the trees. Jack's head shot up as lights went on all over the compound. He looked around, desperately seeking a way out, but it was already too late. The sound of the gunshot... the shot of a standard-issue sidearm... had awoken the entire camp, and half-clothed Jaffa were already flooding out of the barracks.

What the *hell* had happened that would make Jacob have to fire? Jesus Christ! The man *knew* better! Jack pulled his Zat from it's holster, hoping to take down a *few* Jaffa and maybe get out of this alive. Shit, if he didn't, *Carter* was gonna kill him!

Jack dove for a small pile of boulders a short distance away as he saw Teal'c hit the deck out of the corner of his eye. He was under fire, and Jack immediately focused his attention on taking some of the heat off of his friend. He fired aimlessly into the group aiming for Teal'c, but it wasn't enough. He cursed as the other man went down in the blue haze of a Zat blast.

Jack continued firing, more out of anger than self-preservation. He tried to keep the Jaffa from approaching Teal'c's prone form, but the Zat just wasn't doing it for him. As he dropped the smaller weapon to unclip his P-90, he heard a twig snap behind him. He twisted his body just in time to see a Zat discharge. *Sorry, Carter*, he thought, as he hit the ground, writhing in pain.

* * *

"General Hammond, I thought this was to be a discussion, not an order, and no, General Hammond, I don't believe that is a feasible plan. It is going to be hard enough to maneuver myself and Daniel through the complex." Leske shot Janet a sideways glance. "Adding one more person to the formula may upset the mix."

General Hammond was slowly losing patience with this woman. "I am in command of this facility, and my decision is not up for rebuttal." The General's voice changed pitch as his anger increased. "You need to go back, you need earth's Stargate to return, you *will* follow these orders. Dr. Fraiser will accompany you through the Stargate when you return."

Leske turned towards Dr. Fraiser. "This is nothing personal Janet, and I don't want you to take it that way, but..."

Janet understood the General's order. His concern for the welfare of Dr. Jackson apparent. Even though it wasn't voiced, the General's decision to send Janet was influenced by Dr. Jackson's obvious discomfort in the infirmary. There was no way he was sending a compromised member of SGC back through the Stargate into a possibly volatile situation without backup.

"Leske, there will be no buts... if this mission is to go forward, it will go forward *exactly* as I've said."

Leske sat back in the office chair, resignation apparent on her features. A small watch that Leske was wearing emitted four beeps in succession. The General and Janet looked at her questioningly.

"Leske?" The General asked.

Chewing on her lower lip, never taking her eyes off the hands in her lap. "General, how long before the devices arrive from Area 51 and are refitted?"

General Hammond made two phone calls before answering her question. "The devices have arrived at the front gate and Sgt. Siler informs me about two hours before they are refitted and tested."

Leske let forth a sigh and issued a brilliant smile. Suddenly turning to Janet, horror washing across her bloodshot eyes. "Janet...how long before Daniel wakes up?"

"Between the sedative and the pain pill, and the fact that Dr. Jackson is bordering on exhaustion, I'm hoping for about six hours of sleep."

Leske's eyes widened. "You have to wake him now! You don't understand. We can't miss this window of opportunity...there will be no other time. If we don't go soon, the remaining members of SG1 will be trapped there."

"Wake him up? Leske, short of giving him a stimulant to counteract the sedative...what the hell are you talking about? Why, can't we ever get the full story when you tell us something? General?"

Leske raised her hand before the General could even speak. "On my planet, there is a small group of people who are objecting to the treatment of the people we kidnap through the Stargate. The majority of us have infiltrated into the 'production company' and are working on the inside. Not until SG1 appeared, have we been able to cohesively act together. Daniel's ascension was the first step. When he was sent through the Stargate, Talin assumed the iris on earth wouldn't open and Daniel would be killed.

Ronar, as Sgt. Siler, punched SG1's codes for the iris to disengage. We were never sure if Daniel ever made it through. But we took the chance and sent me after him...Ronar, again using the SG1 codes...from my point of view it probably was suicide mission....we never knew if Daniel made it. Ronar gave me 48 hours until he would be on duty again. If I didn't return, he was to figure that earth never opened the iris and both Daniel and I were dead. My codes were then to be locked out and the movement was to find another planet to gate the remaining members home to. But if Ronar gets a signal during our allotted time frame, he will open, what you call an iris, and give Daniel and myself access back to the planet to rescue SG1."

"And you were going to tell us this *when*? How are we to trust you if you are giving us information piecemeal?" General Hammond's ability to have confidence in this woman was pushing the limits.

"Please General...Daniel needs to get his teammates home and I need to go home."

"What's the window?"

"The earliest, six, the latest, ten hours from now."

"General, I needed to run tests on Daniel when he awakens, I am not comfortable with this at all. I do not know the condition..."

"Dr. Fraiser," General Hammond replied sadly, "I do not believe we have a choice. Give Daniel two hours of sleep and wake him. We will brief at 1800 hours before the mission. And young lady," the General said. "Before you leave this office, is there *anything* else we need to know?"

"No sir," Leske replied meekly. "Except the SG1 that may be returning, will be slightly different than the one that left. For Daniel's sake, I hope the tweaking that Talin did between the two men will dissipate when the device is shut down. And I hope shutting off Daniel's neurofilter works, we never had the opportunity to shut them down on a person that was alive before."

* * *

Chapter 10

Janet stood at the foot of Daniel's bed, eyeing the sleeping archeologist with regret. Daniel had been in the infirmary enough times to know from his "bedtime" body language, he would probably sleep over the projected 6 hours, if he was allowed. She couldn't even give him the two hours General Hammond allotted her. It was necessary for her to run some scans before departing and she needed him awake. That is why she came prepared with some tools of bribery: A steaming hot coffee and chocolate croissant. Walking over to the bedside and placing the coffee and pastry on the nightstand, she leaned over to shake his shoulder.

"Go 'way," Daniel said, turning over to the other side of the bed.

"Come on, Daniel!" Janet grabbed the coffee cup and walked around to the side of the bed that Daniel was now facing. Placing the cup under his nose she waited patiently for the desired results.

"Hmmmm." Blindly, he reached for the coffee cup. "Starbucks?" he asked, opening one eye.

"Yes...but don't tell anyone I gave you coffee in the infirmary or my reputation will be ruined," Janet begged. He pulled himself to a sitting position with Janet's assistance and grabbed at the cup. "Daniel you are a coffee slut...do you know that?"

"Well Janet, you are the enabler in this situation," Daniel said, eyeing the Starbuck's bag on the table. "Janet?"

Sighing, she threw the bag onto the bed. Daniel leaned down to gaze inside at his prize and Janet noticed that, as he bent his head, his expression turned into a grimace of pain.

Grabbing the cup and bag away she entered full doctor mode. "Daniel..."

"Janet, I'm fine, you woke me...you have to expect some slight dizziness after giving me a sedative and then letting me sleep like what, 20 minutes....can I please have my coffee and whatever was in the bag that smells delicious ....Jaaaanet, I may be a slut, but you're a tease," he whined, as she deposited the items out of his immediate reach.

Janet sat at the end of the bed and briefed Daniel regarding the General's conversation with her and Leske. Daniel's eyes lit up in anticipation..."Janet, I need to get ready, there are things that need to be done, the devices from Area 51...."

Putting up her hand to halt his tirade. "The devices are here and Leske is assisting Sgt. Siler in refitting them. Daniel, you've just had an alien device switched off in your head. I need to do some scans..."

Softly Daniel answered "Janet, it won't make a difference what you find, I have to...I need to go back. I could never live with myself if I don't. Even if you find something you need to ..."

Janet knew where this was heading. "No Daniel....I won't trade one life for another."

Daniel continued like she never said anything. "Janet, do the math...it would be my life for three. One for three, I would say the odds are pretty good in my favor. You have to tell General Hammond that everything is fine, that I'm fine."

"Make you a deal...you have the scans and the tests, finish your coffee and danish, and fill in the blanks on how you received those marks on your face...and this discussion will be continued upon the results of the tests."

Daniel knew for Janet this was a compromise. He also realized how different the other "Dr. Fraiser" had been. The little nuances... did he not see them? Did SG1 not see them? They were in the infirmary enough...he was a scientist...how could he have missed the little glances, the touches, the impatience, the caring? Thinking back, he was ashamed for not realized something had been wrong.

So Daniel had his scans and his blood tests and he was now sitting in Janet's office drinking his nuked coffee and danish dressed in a fresh set of BDUs.

"Didn't want me drinking the coffee in the infirmary?" Daniel mumbled his mouth full of danish.

Thinking she should have brought him two danish, Janet laughed. "No...I didn't want crumbs on the bed." She had cleaned and treated his marked face on his first visit to the infirmary. Janet had questioned him them, but he mumbled something and refused to elaborate when prodded. Now cornered, she waved her hand in the direction of his face. "Sharp object?"

"Glass...shattered glass." Putting down his coffee and lacing his fingers together, he placed his shaking hands on is lap. He could feel himself begin to hyperventilate as he thought of Talin, the control room, and the power that mad man still had over the remaining members of SG1.

"Daniel." Janet leaned forward and touched his clenched hands. "You only told us in the debriefing that you ascended...would you like to possibly give me more information than that?"

He rewarded her with a smile that never touched his eyes. Daniel began as he told the story of Kelona, the Naquadriah, the weapon, Jonas, what he did to save the planet and then what was done to him. "Talin took me out of the scenario about 3 hours after I entered the infirmary. He let someone else be me...then he made me watched the outcome. Everyone believed....believed I ascended like Orlin or Oma Desala."

"Orlin, Daniel?"

"Yeah, you remember. Sam was pretty..." Noting the blank expression on Janet's face, Daniel's eyes widened and suddenly, he jumped up, unabashed horror evident on his face. "That son of a bitch. That goddamned SOB." Daniel hung his head, running his hands through his hair.

Visibly taken back by Daniel's abrupt change in attitude, Janet attempted to placate him with a soothing tone. "*Who*, Daniel?"

Janet was shocked by the emotion and anger now reflected on Daniel's face; his whole body visibly vibrated with it. "Talin...he screwed with my...our minds. Janet, I have a whole year of vivid memories," Daniel screwed his eyes shut, tapping at his temple for emphasis, "of missions that did not exist. People and planets..." Daniel opened his eyes, dark with anger, pounding his chest. "And the feelings he made us feel in here. The anger...do you know Janet, by the time Talin had me ascending, Jack and I barely spoke... And enemies he gave us... enemies and new Goa'ulds...and Sarah...I saw Sarah again." Daniel stopped his pacing, realization dawning on his face. "Knowledge, he gave me knowledge and showed me cultures and languages. In my reality the Tollan were destroyed. He destroyed my friendship with Jack and the rest of the team. God, he made me alone again."

Janet stepped up to Daniel, she made an attempt to comfort him, thinking how he really needed to be asleep or have an IV sedative running through his veins at this moment. What he didn't need, and was going to get, was a possible one-way ticket through the stargate to regain the teammates he believed he left behind.

"No!" Daniel yelled, putting out his arms to ward off Janet's approach. "How do I know he's not messing with my mind now? Hmm? Janet, answer me that. How the hell can I be sure this is real and not just another *scene*. Give me an answer Janet, tell me how can I know this is really my home."

Janet couldn't think of an answer that would pacify Daniel. All her lack of response accomplished was to add fuel to the fire of anger growing inside of Daniel. "You can't answer me...because there is no answer...I don't know if this is home." Out of anger, frustration and countless other emotions Daniel took the first breakable object off Janet's desk, her half filled coffee mug and threw it against the cement wall. It shattered on impact, sending the remaining coffee cascading down the green walls in Janet's office.

Janet saw a rage in Daniel that the Colonel had only referred to once or twice before. An anger usually harbored towards Apophis...and now Talin. Janet and Daniel stood transfixed on the shattered remains littering Janet's floor. After a few moments they both looked up, Janet's heart constricting at the fatigue and resignation on Daniel's face as he softly said, "I don't think I will ever be able to differentiate between reality and the nightmare that was the past twelve months of my life." Janet was spared having to answer the heartbreaking statement by a knock on her office door. "Come in."

"I have the results of Dr. Jackson's scans" said Janet's charge nurse, Christine. Christine smiled at Daniel. "Glad to have you back, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel smiled. "Thanks."

Janet took the results of the tests, thanking the heavens above for Christine. She was more than a capable nurse, a leader, and always willing to "adopt" Cassie when Janet needed to go away for a few days. Daniel's one word of 'Thanks' didn't surprise Janet. After listening, Daniel probably felt he was in limbo...neither world feeling comfortable enough at the moment to call home.

"Well?" Daniel inquired standing in front of Janet.

"Sorry...let's see." She placed the films on the backlight and opened the report to read it.

"Janet?"

"Daniel wait a minute...give me a chance to absorb the material," Janet replied tersely.

Properly reprimanded, Daniel sat slumped in the office chair, head down, ensconced in a body hug.

Sitting across from him, she slid the report to him. "Well, Daniel...it could be better, it could be worse. From this standpoint, if we were staying earthside, I would say, no problem. But since we are going to attempt gate travel...well, I'm not sure of any residual effects."

"Show me."

Janet stood and pointed to the scan. "There is a slight swelling around the area of the neurofilter. That is what's concerning me."

"I told you it's my decision."

"But I will have effectively signed your death certificate if you die on Leske's world."

"But you will have signed my death certificate if you don't permit to me to go."

Great, now Janet had another concern. "Are you blackmailing me, Dr. Jackson? Telling me you will kill yourself if I don't let us go through the gate?"

Daniel couldn't trust himself to speak. Couldn't trust himself to meet Janet's eyes. Couldn't trust himself to go on without his team, his family. Couldn't trust himself if he lost anymore people in his life.

The ringing phone caused them both to jump. "Fraiser."

"Yes, General, all finished. Nothing showed up that will affect his gate travel." Closing her eyes as she blatantly lied to her commanding officer. "Yes sir, we will be good to go in about 45 minutes."

Hanging up the phone, she met Daniel's gaze head on. "Before you say thank you ...listen to me. I want you to take steroid medication for the swelling. If you exhibit any signs out of the ordinary, headache, vomiting, nausea, tiredness... you must let me know. And also antibiotics. Oh ...I'll be doling them out. I will be reminding you and giving you the medication. Do you understand me?"

Daniel nodded his head in agreement, a smile lighting up his fatigued features "Thank you Janet." Standing, he continued. "I need to get ready."

"Don't make me sorry, Daniel. Please. Meet the General in the briefing room in 45 minutes."

Daniel was out of the office before Janet even finished, and was on his way to his sanctuary. He needed something. He hoped he could locate it, knowing somehow it would convince at least one member of his team that he had never ascended.

Entering his office, he kept the lights subdued. He hadn't admitted to Janet the headache that was forming as they spoke. He went to his desk and extricated an aspirin bottle. Dry swallowing three, he stood in his room, his face a mask of concentration, thinking of the location of item he was seeking.

Daniel had a method to his madness...he actually knew where every item in his office was. To the lay person, his mess looked... well, it looked like a disorganized mess. But if anyone needed research material, Daniel was able to find it in seconds. 'Controlled disorganization,' Jack had called it, Daniel recalled with a smile.

Silently praying, he stepped up to the cork board hanging next to his desk. Briefly scanning the top layer of papers hanging from it, he shook his head and began pulling them down, revealing another, slightly thinner layer. His eyes lit up as he caught a glimpse of his quarry. "Yes," he said excitedly. There it was...one of the tiny note cards that are sold in the stationary section of a card store. The type you buy when you realize you have forgotten to purchase a regular card. Reading it and smiling, he knew that this was going to tip the scales in his favor when shown to Sam. Knowing when she saw it, she would believe him.

He placed it carefully into one of the many pockets of his pants and zipped it closed. Turning, his eyes fell on the couch in his room. He took a deep breath, aware that the hint of a headache was blossoming into a full blown migraine. He found a bottle of painkillers and took two. Grateful, for having the Danish and coffee to absorb some of the stomach upset, he knew how he would be feeling from the combination of the pills. Setting the timer on his watch for 30 minutes, he stretched out on the couch to sleep, hoping to catch a few moments to clear the fogginess that was settling in on brain.

* * *

The beeping of the watch in his ear awoke Daniel. He took a few minutes to orient to the surroundings, stretching. Inhaling deeply, he was aware of how much better he did actually feel after this short nap. Time to go and retrieve the rest of his team. Standing, he placed both the aspirin bottle and bottle of painkillers in another of his pants pockets. His little secret. Janet need never know. When his team was safely home, there would be enough time to worry about how he felt. Leaning down, he patted the pocket holding the card. Satisfied that it was there, he left to join the others in the General's office.

Daniel entered, surprised to see Leske and Janet already there. Waving Daniel to a seat, the General gave them some last minutes instructions. Daniel and Janet were surprised at the brevity of the meeting. What they didn't know was that General Hammond himself was working against the clock. The NID had gotten wind that Dr. Jackson was back at the SGC along with an alien bearing advanced technology. The NID were on their way to the compound now, to ensure that neither Dr. Jackson nor Leske went through the gate. They didn't care that the remaining members of SG1 would be left on the planet, they just wanted to get their hands on Leske's neurofilters.

"Okay folks, that's it. You have a go."

No MALP was permitted through the wormhole. The coordinates were programmed into the computer and the chevrons began to lock. Leske placed the devices on herself, Janet, and Daniel. "Remember, when Ronar gets my signal, we need to go into the wormhole as my planet's Team 7. He will escort us to a holding area. Whatever you do...do NOT turn these devices off. There are cameras everywhere. Daniel, especially you....do not turn it off, that would tip Talin off. We need to bide time. Got it?"

Daniel and Janet nodded their heads in agreement, Daniel again leaning down to check the card in his pocket. Satisfied of its placement, he gave the all clear sign to the General in the observation window as the seventh chevron locked. The General rewarded him with a salute and a thumbs up. Leske gave the signal to initiate the devices. The last words Daniel heard before stepping into the horizon to bring his teammates home were Janet's. "A guy Leske? I've morphed into a man? I'm gonna kill you for this."

* * *

Talin strode into Hammond's office, struggling to keep a wide grin off his face. Everything was going exactly as planned. Why shouldn't he be happy?

Major Carter was, predictably, down in the control room, wearing a rut in the floor, awaiting news from SG1. They had been gone for 12 hours and she had barely been able to sit still for fifteen minutes since they left. The minor level of paranoia he had induced through the neurofilter had also gone a long way toward increasing her anxiety. Perfect.

Talin sat down at the General's desk and glanced at the clock on the wall, before redirecting his attention toward the open door of the office. *Any time, now, Sorit...*

Just then, the klaxons began to blare, and Talin gave in to his urge to smile for just a second.

"Incoming wormhole," came the nameless voice over the PA. Talin composed himself and picked up a pen, trying to look busy as Sgt. Davis knocked on the doorframe and poked his head in.

"General, sir? We're receiving a signal. It's SG1, sir," the white-haired man said quickly, pausing just long enough to get a nod from the General.

Talin stood up, absently brushing off his uniform, and walked out of the office, down the stairs, and into the control room, where he took great pleasure in seeing Major Carter wild-eyed, seated at a computer, knuckles white as she clenched her fists on the counter.

Davis, who took his seat again just before Hammond had entered the room, had his headphones on and turned to Carter and the General. "Sir, there's no sign of a traveler, but we are getting a radio signal."

"Pipe it through the speakers, Sergeant," replied 'Hammond', holding his breath. Talin couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

"...acob Carter to ... Repeat, this is Jacob Carter ...GC. Do you copy? ...ome in."

Talin spared a glance at Major Carter as the color drained from her face upon hearing her father's troubled voice and the staff blasts in the background.

"We read you, Jacob. What is your status?" 'Hammond' replied.

"Jack and Teal'c have been captured," Jacob shouted through the radio. Carter put a hand to her mouth and shook her head. "... inned down at the DHD... n't get to ... gate. George, you gotta..." The room was filled with the sound of a staff blast in glorious stereo, and the radio went silent.

Major Carter remained seated for a moment, staring listlessly at the gate as the wormhole disengaged. Then, without a word, she stood and stiffly walked out the door, as though she could fall over at any moment. Talin smiled.

* * *

*He promised. He promised. He promised. He promised. He promised...*

Sam wandered aimlessly through the endless corridors of the SGC, unable to comprehend much more than the fact that she was well and truly alone. When she tried to think the situation through logically, her head just got cluttered with irrelevant information. It was too hard, so after a while, she just stopped trying.

She settled for getting comfortable with her quiet, welling anger and guilt. Let it consume her.

This was all her fault. Somehow... she hadn't figured that out yet, exactly, but it had to be her fault. She must have done *something* to deserve losing *everyone* she cared about within two week's time. She should have been there.

*No one else should suffer because of you*, she thought, and suddenly, Sam wasn't so aimless anymore. She found herself almost running toward her quarters, ignoring the people she passed in the halls, ignoring the sound of the klaxons warning an incoming wormhole, ignoring what Siler... Ronan had told her. She forgot, and out of habit, trusted herself. Trusted that she had nothing left.

She slowed down when she reached her door. Those damned klaxons were still going off. For just a moment, Sam had enough clarity of mind to hope that it was the Colonel, Teal'c, and her father... that they were home and safe and that everything was okay. But the hope was fleeting and as she reached for the door handle, her world crashed around her again, and she managed to stave off hysterics just long enough to close the door behind her.

She was able to take four steps into the dark room before falling to her knees. She didn't want to cry. She hated crying. Hated *herself* when she cried, but now she couldn't help it. She moaned in pitiful agony and let the tears come, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as she rocked on her knees. She sobbed until her vision blurred, until her fingernails drew blood from the palms of her clenched hands, until the anger came back, and drew her slowly to her feet.

She clenched her jaw and threw the nearest object she could find, taking perverse satisfaction in hearing glass shatter on the gray concrete wall. She ran to her small desk and turned on the lamp so she could see the mayhem she intended to create. She tore through the pile of papers sitting on the desk, threw the pencil can at the wall, and followed it closely with the metal chair that had been pushed neatly under the table. It made a wonderful, almost melodic, crashing sound when it hit the concrete.

Having exhausted the resources of the desk, she moved toward the nightstand next to her bunk and pulled the single drawer out, flinging it at the door. It's contents spilled all over the room, leaving a trail of papers and knickknacks in its wake. She watched it and perceived it in slow motion, hypnotized by the almost beautiful display, until an unexpected clatter pulled her back to her senses. She looked to where the drawer had landed, and was almost surprised when a glint of metal caught her eye. Her Beretta.

Sam had never liked killing, but she loved guns. She loved the way they looked, she loved feeling one's weight in her hand, loved the sound they made and bracing herself against the recoil when she pulled the trigger, she loved the physics behind propelling an object at so great a velocity from something so small.

Slowly, she walked toward the door and crouched to pick up the gun, checking to see if it was loaded. She didn't know why, probably just out of habit... she *never* kept it loaded when she was on base. When she pulled the clip, though, she discovered a single bullet remained. She stared blankly at it for a moment, then stood and walked over to her bunk and sat down.

Sam turned it over in her hands, examining it, admiring its construction. She took a deep breath before clicking off the safety and chambering the round. She smiled a bit as she realized that her head had finally cleared and her thoughts boiled down to two things: One, her hand did not shake as she brought the gun to her temple, and two, no one else was going to suffer because of her.

* * *

Chapter 11

Ronar breathed a sigh of relief as Talin left the control room in favor of watching the coming events unfold from his chair in *his* control room.

He was worried about Leske. His shift was scheduled to end in fifteen minutes and he hadn't yet heard from her. He didn't want to believe that she could be dead, but the reality was becoming more and more pronounced by the second.

The plan was for her to return within the window of his shift, disguised as a member of Carcel's Team 7, claiming that the rest of her team was still on the planet they had been exploring... that she was ordered to return early or something. Maybe Daniel would be with her, too.

Ronar's breath caught in his throat as the inner ring of the Stargate began spinning. He looked over at Davis, unable to remember the name of the person playing him, but tilted his head toward the gate in question. Davis looked at the monitor in front of him and nodded to Ronar.

"It's a real activation, sir," he said. Ronar turned back to his own station and hit a few keys, causing the gate to flicker almost imperceptibly. The holographic façade they usually had projected over the gate disappeared.

"Close the iris," Ronar ordered. Davis complied and the dark gray barrier they had designed for Carcel's Stargate slid down over the opening in the middle of the ring, just as the seventh chevron lit. The wormhole engaged and Ronar held his breath.

"Are we getting a code?" he asked.

Davis paused for a minute, eyes locked on his screen. "Yes, sir. It's Team 7's access sequence, sir. Opening the iris."

And with that, the blue shimmer of the event horizon became visible, and three people, familiar and dressed in the uniforms of a Carcelan Stargate Exploration Team, appeared and plodded tiredly down the ramp. The leader of the group looked up at the control booth, staring straight at Ronar. He couldn't help but smile back at Leske, relieved to see her alive, even in the form of a brown eyed, blonde haired woman who bore absolutely no resemblance to his friend.

Ronar leaned down toward the microphone. "Welcome back Team 7. Commander Norenel, where are the other two members of your team?"

"I told Lesane and Graton they could stay for another day to finish running some tests. I didn't believe it was necessary for us to remain there as well," 'Norenel' replied, as the other two people with her took off their helmets.

"Very well. Get cleaned up and report for debriefing in two hours."

Ronar nodded to Davis, who replaced the holographic gate and left the control room to meet Leske and her team.

* * *

Daniel followed as Leske led him and Janet through a door in the gateroom that he had never noticed before. It was behind the gate and camouflaged to look just like the wall, the seams barely visible. The interior of this new room looked remarkably like the one in which he had been held just prior to meeting Talin, and a shiver ran down his spine with the memory. Leske must have picked up on his unease, because she turned to him as the door closed to offer some explanation.

"Ever since you four came through our gate, our government has been pushing the creation of our own Stargate Program, following the example of Earth. When we learned of the existence of the Goa'uld and the Replicators, to name a few, the people in power for our planet became concerned. So they brought the military in and we allowed them access to our facility so they could use the Gate. They play by our rules, so long as we let them go off-world. Ronar... uh, Sgt. Siler, in the control room... he's the commander of military forces, here. He's been working with me and a few others who have been trying to get you home, Daniel," Leske said, her confidence immediately surfacing as she had set foot on her home planet.

"So, this is some kind of ready room for your military... hidden out of the way, so as not to tip SG1 off," Janet commented as she looked around. Leske nodded as she pulled her shirt down a bit and adjusted her IHFG, the Carcelan uniform suddenly melting into a standard SGC uniform. Daniel and Janet did the same, just as Leske had shown them before leaving Earth, and their clothes changed, just as another door on the other side of the room opened, startling all three.

Leske smiled. "Daniel, Janet, I want you to meet Base Commander Ronar. He's been keeping an eye on your friends while I was away."

Ronar's eyes fell to the ground. "I'm afraid I haven't done a great job of that, Les."

Leske's smile faded and Daniel looked from her to Ronar, feeling a bit panicky. "What do you mean?" he asked, stepping toward the man he knew to be Sergeant Siler. Ronar took a deep breath before looking Daniel in the eye.

"They started to suspect something. They started looking more closely at your death and Talin was afraid they might find something. He advanced the timetable and entered the Environment himself, as General Hammond. Brought Jacob Carter in to take Jack and Teal'c out on a mission... Sam had to stay behind for some reason. Jack and Teal'c were captured, and we heard Jacob get shot... God, she thinks... Daniel! Daniel, wait!"

Daniel didn't stand still long enough to hear the rest of Ronar's explanation, but bolted out the door he had entered, only to find himself in one of the familiar corridors of the SGC. He had to find her, to make sure she was okay, to let her know that he was okay. She'd just lost him... what would happen to her if she lost Jack, Teal'c, *and* her *Dad*, too?

He flew through the halls, wracking his brain trying to figure out where she would be. The dull ache in his head didn't help much, but he did his best to ignore it, concentrating on finding Sam. She wouldn't go to her lab... there might be people there. She'd want to be alone.

Daniel skidded and turned fast on his heel as he ducked into the stairwell just before passing it by. He took the stairs three at a time, reaching the level with the officers' quarters in record time. He ran full tilt into the corridor toward Sam's room and slammed his shoulder into her door as he turned the handle.

Then he stopped cold in his tracks, breathing hard as a nightmare unfolded before him. Sam closed her eyes and lifted her Beretta to her head, a faint smile touching her lips...

"Sam..." he choked, unable to find his voice and unwilling to startle her into pulling the trigger. "Sam, please..." he whispered as he walked quickly toward her. As her finger began to tighten, he pulled the gun out of her hand and knelt down in front of her. She opened her eyes to find a stranger staring up at her, but didn't move.

"Sam? Sam, look at me. Look at me!" said Daniel, shaking her shoulders, desperate for some sign that she knew he was there.

She blinked and looked at him, a puzzled look coming to her face. "Who are you?" she asked softly, her eyes drawn to her gun in his hand. Daniel sat back on his heels, confused. Why wouldn't she know him? Granted, she thought he was dead, but still...

"Sam, it's me! Daniel! Come on, Sam... you *know* me!" She looked at him for a moment then began to laugh quietly to herself, mumbling something about this being a great joke.

Then it dawned on him, that he was still wearing his IHFG. He'd forgotten all about it. "Shit, Sam... God, I know I don't look like me, but I *am* me, Sam. I'm Daniel. I'm not dead, okay? It was all a trick, Sam. I'm not dead!"

Sam was still laughing, and it scared him. He could only imagine what was going through her head. She was *suicidal*, for crying out loud! Sam would *never* kill herself. She was too strong to even consider it. Daniel's only explanation for her behavior was that Talin must be messing with her head, or something... amplifying her negative feelings. He had to find a way to snap her out of it.

"Wait! Sam, I can prove it's me! Okay? Just pay attention for a sec," he said as he suddenly remembered the card he'd put in his pocket before leaving Earth. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he must have known that he might have to prove his identity to his friends. Hell, he still wasn't quite sure what was real and what wasn't. He pulled the small card out of his pocket with one hand, and carefully grabbed one of Sam's hands with the other. He placed the little card in her hand and sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Look at it, Sam," he ordered, gently. She complied and examined the piece of paper in her hands. Her eyes widened and Daniel smiled at her recognition. "What is it?" he asked her, patiently. She took a deep breath and he could tell that she was fighting back tears.

"Cassie took a photography class a couple years ago," she said, slowly and softly. "It was only her third Christmas, and she wanted to give us something special. She'd taken a picture of us all using this great old camera her teacher had let her borrow... me, the Colonel, Teal'c, Janet, Daniel, and the dog. She took it to school and developed it herself, by hand. She didn't think it would turn out, but it did, and she gave it to us. We hung it in the Colonel's office."

"What about the card, Sam? What happened to it?"

"Daniel... he kept it. The Colonel was going to throw it out, but Daniel kept it and pinned it up in his office because of what it said. 'For my family.' He thought it sounded nice. Two months ago, I took it down to look at it, and I left it on his workbench. He accidentally spilled coffee on it... ruined it. He was so upset..."

Daniel smiled at the memory as she trailed off. She was starting to get it. "Look at it now, Sam. Good as new. How could that be possible?"

Her face darkened and she dropped the card. "It's a trick. Siler said..."

"No, Sam. *This* is the trick." Swallowing hard, Daniel reluctantly pulled at the collar of his shirt and revealed his IHFG. He hesitated, wishing it wouldn't be necessary, but his heart beat out his throbbing head and he deactivated the device.

Sam gasped and pulled away as his disguise melted, revealing his own face. He leaned toward her slightly as he rose to his knees, taking her hand. "Do you believe me now?"

She scrunched her face and squeaked an affirmative as she nodded her head violently. He sighed in relief and took her in his arms as she burst into tears, clutching at his shirt. "God, Daniel, we thought..."

"Shhh... I know, I know. I'm so sorry, Sam. I'm so sorry."

She choked a little laugh and he looked down at her. "What?"

"The Colonel's right. You just can't die."

Daniel laughed with her as she pulled out of his arms. "Yeah, that's me. The Energizer Spacemonkey."

She giggled and looked at him earnestly, the tears having given way to sparse sniffles. "It's really you."

"Yeah, it's really me." He watched as Sam turned her head to look at the room, watched her stiffen as she caught sight of the discarded handgun on the floor. Her eyes grew wide and both of their smiles faded.

"I almost..." she breathed.

"It wasn't you, Sam. You weren't yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Dammit, Daniel!"

Daniel was about to explain about the neurofilters, when the pair was startled by shadows lurking in the doorway. They both looked up to see three figures walk into the room, led by a tall blonde woman with her hands on her hips and a lethal look on her face.

"Goddamit...how stupid can you be? This was my game, my rules. We," Leske pointed emphatically to her and Ronar, "are risking everything, and you go and pull a stupid stunt like that." Leske stepped forward visibly quaking with anger. She turned towards the camera in the corner of the room. "He knows now...I'm cutting my losses and leaving. He won't know who I am, I can just disappear and possibly get on with my life. Ronar is military, Talin can't touch him. You four...will probably be joining your Colonel and Teal'c, and believe me, your reunion will be short lived. You can be sure that Talin removed the safety protocols from their mission."

Daniel jumped up and grabbed Leske by her arm. "I'm sorry. But remember... our choices were taken away from us, we had no say in this matter. We've lived our lives according to the dictates of others. Sam is important to me. She's my family. I performed a risk assessment and in my eyes, saving her was worth the risk. I never meant the outcome to harm you...I didn't think."

"That's right, you didn't think," Ronar added, echoing Leske's sentiments.

"Enough." Janet stepped forth. "The damage has obviously been done; arguing about it is just going to waste precious time that we don't have. Whether or not you come with us, that is up to you. It's your conscience you will have to live with. We need to find our friends. Now you either show us how to do it, or we will manage to screw it up on our own." Her hands were on her hips and she was tapping her foot in impatience, waiting for an answer.

Sam looked at the person making the speech trying to figure out why this stranger seemed so familiar to her. Even though the disguise was of a 6' 2" marine with a build that would rival Teal'c, the words and the body language were a dead giveaway. "Janet?" Sam asked standing. Glancing in Leske's and Ronar's direction, she turned off her device and morphed back into Janet, unable to restrain herself from running up and hugging the friend she hadn't seen in a very long time.

Sam relaxed into Janet's warm embrace, but couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into her. She'd just seen her yesterday, hadn't she? Janet was acting like they'd been apart for months.

"Janet, is everything okay? You seem..."

"You'll hear all about it soon enough, Sam. Trust me," Janet replied, smiling brightly. Sam smiled back and looked back toward Daniel.

Janet realized that Sam's attention was no longer focused on her as she heard Sam issue a softly whispered "Daniel." Turning to follow Sam's line of sight, Janet's heart began to pound in fear as she took in Daniel sitting on Sam's bed his head cradled in his hands.

"Shit." Realization hit Leske like a brick wall. "Talin, knows he is here and must be trying to access Daniel's neurofilter. It obviously hasn't been absorbed completely and..."

"Neurofilter? Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Sam asked. "Living our lives by the dictates of others?"

"Later, Sam." The diminutive doctor bent down, attempting to assess Daniel's condition. A thin sheen of sweat covered Daniel's forehead, his pupils were still reactive to light, and he was able to answer the questions that Janet put forth. Daniel placated Janet, patting her hand. "I'm fine, Janet. Honestly". His facial expression spoke otherwise, as did his trembling hands.

Sam sat by Daniel's side, trying to absorb the chain of events that were unfolding with lightening speed before her. Her eyes did a quick sweep of the room, taking in the Beretta, and she shivered involuntarily at its presence. She remembered what she had almost done, and held Daniel tighter at the thought. Understanding her unspoken words, Daniel whispered into her ear, "Great rescue, huh Sam? Guess I have to work on the saving the damsel in distress thing."

Closing her eyes and swallowing to counteract the sob she felt building in her throat, she remembered that the Colonel had said almost the same exact thing regarding the Tok'ra rescue.

"Janet...I have pain killers in my pocket." Daniel motioned and then unzipped the pocket holding the pills.

"Daniel..." Janet placed her hand atop his, stopping his retrieval of the pills. "Why?"

Daniel issued forth a low chuckle, followed by a moan. He replied, "This is military Janet, 'Don't ask, don't tell' is the motto."

"Wait," Janet begged. Getting up, she turned to Leske, not caring if this woman went down with the ship or not. But Janet would be damned if she was just going to let her get away with what was being done and what was being done to her friends.

"What the hell is going on, Leske? You told me that the bastardized version of the DaD that you constructed would work, that it would be okay... Daniel would be okay."

Janet stepped forward, reached inside Leske's shirt and deactivated her IHGF. Sam watched, mouth agape as, for the second time in less than 20 minutes, someone became not who they said they were. Grabbing the front of Leske's uniform, Janet dragged her to stand by Daniel on the bed. "I want you to look at Daniel with *your* eyes, Leske, and tell him the truth this time. I know there is something you're hiding. Go ahead."

"We've never deactivated the filters from a live individual before. We've only deactivated them off players who were finished with their scenarios. We recycled the numbers to be used again."

"Leske...players that finished their scenarios. Finished as in how?" Daniel asked.

"Umm...finished as in dead, Daniel. I'm sorry. "

"Oh, um." Daniel bent his head and his breathing pattern began to change to compensate for the pounding in his head. Through clenched teeth he ordered. " Look you guys better get outta here..."

"No Daniel...I'm not leaving you."

Sgt. Siler stood in the corner of Sam's quarters and started to clap. The clapping turned to applause and then to whistles of appreciation. "Bravo...Bravo...." Wiping away fake tears from the corner of his eyes. He reached into his shirt and morphed into Talin.

"You bastard!" Ignoring the pain in his head, Daniel flung himself off the bed, almost knocking Janet to the floor in his attempt to lay his hands on the man who had been the puppeteer for the past 12 months of Daniel's life. Talin sidestepped him, bringing forth a DaD from his pocket. "I think you need this Daniel, and Sam." Turning towards Sam, he leered, "Hope you don't mind my being so familiar."

Leske stood wide eyed, chest heaving with anxiety. "Ronar?"

"Poor girl, Ronar is military, Leske. I would have thought Colonel O'Neill would have shown you something about that. He wanted to keep his Stargate Program, I wanted information. Oh, and by the way, don't expect to be seeing young Dotrin around either. He's already been... well, ha-ha... taken care of."

Leske curled her fingers into tight fists, seething at Talin's implication. "Dotrin?" Daniel whispered to her.

"Jonas," Leske hissed hurriedly, before directing further questioning toward Talin. "You knew?"

"The whole time. Knew you were attempting to get Daniel home, knew you followed him. Didn't think you would be able to turn off the neurofilter though. Didn't think that earth's technology was advanced enough."

Janet asked, "Why the pain if we turned it off?"

"Dr. Fraiser, Janet, if I may. Pleasure to meet you. Talin, master of this SGC," He put his hand out for Janet to shake it, which she totally ignored.

"Answer my question."

"Oh, yeah. Leske's right...it really wasn't absorbed yet and I was having such fun playing with his code numbers while I still could. Promise... I'll stop. See Daniel...I'm not so bad." He threw the DaD at Daniel, who caught it. "Pain almost all gone, right?"

The pain lessened, but Daniel refused to acquiesce to this madman. Passing by him slowly, Daniel turned swiftly and had him up against the wall with his forearm against his throat.

"Who's laughing now, Talin? Tell me where my friends are. Now." Daniel pressed harder, and Talin's face took on a dusky shade as he made a feeble attempt to release Daniel's arm from his neck.

Daniel was aware of the sound of automatic weapons entering the room. He didn't need to turn around to sense they were all pointed at his back.

"Camera's, Daniel. Remember the cameras," Leske said.

Daniel released Talin, and the man adjusted his clothing and leaned forth to pat Daniel's cheek. "Your loyalty... God, the ratings. In case you are interested, bits and pieces of this will be spliced together to make a heart wrenching scene between Daniel and Sam."

"What happens to us now?" Daniel asked. Ignoring the soldiers with the guns, he took two menacing steps towards Talin. "What happens to us now?!"

"Daniel, the players are all in the game... with a couple of extras thrown in for good measure." He motioned towards Leske and Janet. "Now, we just have to get you all on the same playing field." Talin turned to the soldiers who still had their weapons trained on the group. "Escort Leske, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Fraiser, and Major Carter to the gateroom, please."

"Yes, sir," responded one of the men, who motioned the four people out into the corridor.

Daniel backed away from Talin, but continued to eye him as he turned to snag Sam on his way out. He didn't intend to let her out of his sight for a minute, and she had the same idea. She moved closer to him as one of the soldiers prodded her to get moving. "Daniel?" she whispered, searching for some kind of reassurance.

Daniel put his hand at her elbow and directed his attention from Talin to her, giving a small, sad little smile. "It's okay, Sam. Don't worry about a thing," he whispered back, as the group was herded out into the corridor.

Upon reaching the gateroom, they were directed to a pile of packs and a couple of SF's holding P-90's and zats. They weren't pointing them at anyone... just holding them. Daniel was confused. He turned to Leske who was standing behind him. "I don't get it," he said. She just put out her hands and shook her head, indicating her own confusion.

"Allow me to fill you in."

Four surprised heads popped up in unison to look through the control room window to see a very smug-looking General Hammond staring down at them. "I am a fair man, and always one to be entertained... so I have decided that rather than simply shooting you, I would allow you to stay on for the big finale. What could be a better ending? The gallant SG-1, a descended Daniel, our sweet Dr. Fraiser, and... ha-ha... a new friend, fighting side by side in a losing battle, watching each other die as they are slowly overcome by enemy forces. There won't be a dry eye on the planet! And so, kids, you are going to pick up those packs, take those guns, and walk through that gate in an effort to rescue your fallen comrades."

"And if we don't?" shouted Daniel.

"Then I'll simply give the order to have O'Neill and Teal'c shot and... well, have you *counted* the number of weapons pointed at you right now? One of the perks of sharing this place with the military, Daniel... We're never at a loss for firepower."

"Right..." Daniel mumbled under his breath, wishing Jack was there to offer some witty retort.

The inner ring of the Stargate began to spin as they leaned down to put on their jackets and packs. They reluctantly took the weapons that were offered to them and checked to make sure everything was loaded. The wormhole sprang to life behind them.

"SG1, you have a go. Have fun!" Hammond's voice came over the PA, and Leske, Janet, Sam, and Daniel all turned and glared at him. He smirked back, and Leske began making her way up the ramp, followed closely by the three Tau'ri. Daniel was amazed at how real the wormhole really felt...

* * *

Chapter 12

They exited the Stargate as they had entered it, weapons drawn and alert. Sam, feeling somewhat more comfortable with the situation, motioned for the team to fan out and make sure the area was secure. Out of habit, she walked over to inspect the DHD and her heart stopped upon seeing what was there beside it. She hurriedly crouched down beside the prone form of her father.

"Janet! Janet, come here, quick!" she shouted, moving to cradle his head in her lap. "Dad?" she asked him softly as she heard Daniel, Leske, and Janet running toward her. Jacob opened his eyes, grunting as she jarred him slightly.

"Sam?" he said, looking up at her, grimacing in pain.

"I'm here, Dad. God, what happened?"

"Damn! Sorit? Are you alright?" Leske demanded as she knelt down next to Sam. Sam let her eyes wander from her father's face to that of the woman beside her, her jaw dropping in confusion. She was so lost. Was this man her dad, or wasn't he? She honestly didn't know.

"Sorit?" Sam asked the man, looking down again at his familiar face. He nodded slightly as Janet swung into doctor mode to look over his wounds. Sam let her own concerns fade into the background and let her friend work.

"Staff blast to the lower back, from what I can tell. It's bad. I... I don't have anything with me... I'm sorry, there's just nothing I can do," Janet said, shaking her head with regret.

Daniel circled around the huddled group and crouched down beside Sam, putting a hand on her shoulder. Sorit began to quietly laugh to himself as Leske tenderly took his hand. "What's so funny?" she asked, sniffling and fighting back tears.

"I just can't believe the bastard had me shot. You were right, Leske. I should have listened to you."

"It's alright, Sorit. Don't worry about a thing, okay?"

Sorit nodded and swallowed hard, wetting his lips. "Sam?"

"I... I'm here. I'm right here," she responded, not really knowing what to do. She had her hands on both of his shoulders and he reached his free hand up to take one of them. He grasped it firmly and squeezed. Sam couldn't help but let a few tears fall... it just felt too much like she was watching her father die.

"Sam, I'm so sorry. Over the months... I've come to love you like my own daughter, Sam. Can you ever forgive me?"

Sam looked back to Daniel, seriously confused. Forgive him for what? How many months had he been... what? *Pretending* to be her father? This man... Sorit... was someone she didn't even know. Daniel nodded imperceptibly to her, and hoping to at least make his last moments a little more bearable, Sam nodded down to Sorit. He smiled back.

"Jacob Carter must be very proud of you." She smiled at that, and continued holding his hand.

"Sorit," asked Sam quietly. "Where are the Colonel and Teal'c? Did you go to the village?"

Sorit shook his head. "No. We followed the rock formations to a Jaffa camp southwest of here. It's not far..." he said, his words dissolving into a fit of coughs that wracked his frame. Sam held onto his shoulders trying to steady him until the coughing stopped.

Sorit quieted and stilled and Leske squeezed the hand she was holding. "Sorit?" she asked softly. "*Sorit*!" she demanded again, receiving no response. Then the image of Jacob Carter disappeared and was replaced by a dark haired, kindly looking older man with bright green eyes that were still open. As she heard Leske choke back a sob, Sam shuddered and fell gracelessly backward in surprise.

Daniel caught her and held her by the shoulders as she tried to bring her breathing back under control. This was just too much. In a corner of her mind, this whole thing was beginning to feel oddly familiar...

Leske reached over Sorit's face and closed his eyes with her fingers before slowly and silently rising to her feet. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she opened her eyes with a snap, emotion finally flooding over her as shock dissipated.

"You..." she said, darkly and quietly to Daniel and Sam. "You! This is all *your* goddamn fault!" she screeched, pointing at them in accusation. Daniel stood up to confront her. "Sorit's dead, Ronar's betrayed me, now... ha! Now *I* get to die, too! How the hell's *that* for convenience! Why did I even bother with you people? Now you're gonna die anyway... I should have just minded my own goddamn business! You people can all go to hell, for all I care! Just leave me out of it!!!!" she screamed.

Daniel patiently allowed her to finish her tirade before starting one of his own. His patience was pretty much gone by that point. Even *he* had his limits.

"*Our* fault? Our fault! Jesus, do you have a skewed perspective! *We* wouldn't even be *on* this godforsaken planet if it wasn't for you! You brought all this on yourself, Leske! How *dare* you start blaming us for this after what your people put *us* through! My God, I mean-,"

"ENOUGH!" Sam screamed at the arguing pair, effectively cutting Daniel off. They both turned to stare at her, startled. She was standing up, her arms held tightly to her sides, her hands balled into tight fists. Any sadness that had been showing on her face had been altogether replaced by confusion and anger.

"You! Both of you! Shut the hell up and *please* explain to me what the *hell* is going on here!" she shouted. Daniel and Leske blinked and exchanged glances. Daniel took a deep breath.

"Sam, you might want to sit down," said Daniel, and she gave him a glare that made him wince, but she sat down with Janet on the ground a good several yards away from Sorit's body.

"Just how much time do you think we have here, Daniel?" Leske asked in a tone of mock-sweetness as he moved to join Sam and Janet. She had her hands on her hips and a stone-cold expression on her face. Daniel just shook his head and ignored her, as he sat down. She huffed in exasperation and rolled her eyes as she began pacing, but Daniel really didn't notice.

"Sam?" he began. "Do you remember about a year ago when we were helping the Tok'ra to evacuate Vorash?" She nodded. "Well, our first mission back, after Bratac helped us deprogram Teal'c, we gated to a planet, completed our mission... but we never really gated to PX8904, nor home. We only thought we did. The last year... none of it was what it appeared to be." Daniel sat back and studied her face, searching for a reaction.

Sam just stared at him, mouth agape. They both just sat there for a moment, motionless, until Sam's face contorted into a pinched expression of deep thought. Daniel could tell that she was simply absorbing this new information, probably going over events in her head, trying to catalogue her memories into what she knew had been real, and what was questionable.

"Sam, from what I've been able to piece together, the planet that we gated to... PX8904, uh, Carcel... they had this...well..."

"The chamber we keep our gate in is equipped with an extensive network of holographic generators. At first, it was our way of dissuading unwelcome visitors through our gate... a defense mechanism, but it... evolved." Daniel smiled and nodded to Leske as she sat down with the rest of the group, finally choosing to contribute.

"So, you're saying that we've been living in a...a *holographic environment* for the past year?" Sam asked incredulously. Daniel, Leske, and Janet nodded to her solemnly. "But, it was so *real*! How were they able to get everything so right? Let alone know things..." she trailed off, again, probably running scenarios in her head. Daniel smiled shyly. He was happy to see her looking so much like herself again. Thinking so hard.

"They implanted chips in your brains that were linked to their computers. They used their technology to pull memories in order to build... *that*," Janet spat. "They were also able to use the devices to alter your behavior... they could mess with your body chemistry by telling your brain to release certain hormones or enzymes..."

"Like puppets on strings," Sam whispered slowly, her eyes downcast and shoulders slumped. Suddenly, her eyes widened as a very unsettling thought struck her. "Are these... neurofilter things... are they able to read what we're thinking right now?"

Leske shook her head. "No. No, that would just be too much information for the system to handle... constant back and forth flow of so much data... All they can do at this point, is *input* certain information into your brains. Little things, like Janet mentioned. Any new information that Talin gets, at this point, comes only from the cameras."

Sam stood up slowly and absently brushed off her pants, casting her gaze toward the rock formations, bathed in the pinkish-orange light of the sunset. "The Colonel and Teal'c... they don't know any of this, do they? They think it's all real."

Leske rose to join her. "Well, for all intents and purposes, it is real. We may still be in the Environment, but," she leaned down and picked up a rock. "It's all still very real. We can still get hurt... still die."

"Oh, there's not a chance in hell," Sam said, her voice strong and loud as she took the stone from Leske and threw it as hard as she could at the sunset. "Let's move out kids. Two of our people are out there, and we're sure as hell gonna find them."

* * *

Chapter 13

//You know, you can't just promise something like that.

Sure I can. And I always keep my promises, Carter.//

Jack jerked awake, gasping as a sharp pain shot through his head. The Jaffa hadn't been very nice that time. Not that they ever were, but this time in particular, they had managed to become more than a minor annoyance. For some reason, they had taken a renewed interest in his head. Probably trying to prove some theory about the thickness of the Tau'ri skull. Or maybe word had gotten around the System Lord water cooler about his own, personal density, and somebody got curious.

Jack moaned, partially out of a need to voice his pain, and partially out of boredom. He just wanted to see what would happen. Maybe Teal'c would answer him this time. Hmph. If wishes were fishes...

Jack sat up slowly, trying to make the most of the cramped space within his cage. Looking to his left, he could see Teal'c, sitting up as best he could, considering that the cage did not leave room enough for his head. His eyes were closed and Jack took notice of his clammy skin, even from several feet away. He hoped desperately that he was performing kel-no-reem instead of just being unconscious again. Teal'c was one of the strongest men Jack had ever known, but even he had his limits.

The Jaffa weren't even asking questions and Jack couldn't figure it out. They had just dragged them out of their cages a couple of times, beat them up with great skill, and threw them back into the cages again. Fun.

They were outside, and Jack couldn't help but notice that the Tok'ra... if there really had been one at all... was nowhere to be seen. From the progression of the sunset, Jack gathered that they had been out here for several hours, at least. Carter had said that the daily cycle of this planet was shorter than that of earth due to... uh... the size of the planet. The planet was smaller than earth, so there was less distance for any point on its surface to travel to make a full rotation, meaning days and nights would pass faster.

Jack smiled. He wished Carter was there so he could show her that he actually remembered something she had explained to him. He was sure she would smile and say 'that's nice, sir' and go back to doing whatever it was she had been doing before he interrupted her.

For some reason, that concept made him think of Daniel. There had been a time when Jack had gotten a perverse pleasure from showing Daniel the occasional glimmer of intelligence. He remembered the surprised way in which the kid had reacted to learning that Jack knew what an Accretion Disc was. He really missed that. Had been missing it.

Jack's mind, usually very focused when on missions or in situations like this one, which automatically dictated precise awareness of his surroundings, was wandering nearly to a point of ignorance. The Special Ops Colonel didn't even notice as one particularly nasty looking Jaffa approached his cage, and was startled when he loudly rapped the butt end of his staff on the bars.

The Jaffa laughed when Jack jumped.

"Yeah, take a picture. It'll last longer," Jack snapped, and the Jaffa hit the cage again, harder, the sound echoing painfully in Jack's ears.

"You will be pleased to know, slave," the Jaffa began. "That our Lord Anubis is nearing this system as I speak." The Jaffa smirked. "He has taken a special interest in you. Wishes to further interrogate you himself."

"Thanks *so* much for sharing."

The Jaffa marched back to one of the tents, leaving Jack alone with a good handful of very unpleasant thoughts.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could imagine that Jacob was okay. Maybe that shot he fired was just an accident. Maybe he dropped the gun and it just went off. If that was the case, he would probably start running, knowing he had given away his position. He would know that there was no way for him to help him and Teal'c and would probably head for the gate for reinforcements.

Hell, maybe they were already on their way to rescue them.

In the front of his mind, though, Jack had a more pessimistic scenario playing out. He'd had a bad feeling about this mission from the start. It felt wrong. Jacob had felt wrong. And now, where was that Tok'ra they had come to rescue? Jacob had never even given them a name. If she had really been a prisoner, wouldn't she still be out here sitting in her cage, too?

And that gunshot. Jacob really did not strike Jack as the kind of guy that would drop his gun or fire accidentally. He'd been a soldier for far too long. No, more than likely, that had been a deliberate shot. Which meant that either Jacob was dead and the gun was fired by someone else, or Jacob was playing for a different team.

//Trust no one. All is not as it seems.//

Jack thought about what Carter had told him in the commissary. About all of the suspicions they'd had. Could it be possible that there was more going on than just the doctoring of Daniel's death? And how was this mission for timing? The very *day* they go to Hammond with their concerns, Jacob shows up.

Definitely not in Kansas anymore.

* * *

Janet gripped her P-90 with white knuckles as the foursome made it's way into a moderately dense forest. Sam was on point, followed by Leske, then herself, and finally Daniel, taking up the rear. Janet couldn't help but wonder when he started to look comfortable holding an automatic weapon. A lot must have happened over the past year.

It had been a lifetime since she had been in any kind of combat situation. Hell, she hadn't even touched a rifle since Hathor tried to take over the base. And now, here she was, in a life or death situation. On a team, on a mission off-world. Well, sort of, anyway, and she was more than a little apprehensive.

It had gotten dark quickly, but the moon was almost entirely full and cast an eerie white glow through the trees. They hadn't been hiking long, but Janet felt as though it had been an eternity. Sam was setting a grueling pace, and damn, but that gun was heavy. She did get some satisfaction from hearing Leske's labored breaths a few paces ahead of her. She smiled at the thought of the woman having as much, if not more, trouble with this than her.

Behind her, Janet noticed that she could no longer hear Daniel's footfalls. She slowed down, and twisted her head to see what had happened to him. Sam must have noticed, too, because Janet nearly walked into Leske, who had stopped.

"What is it?" Sam asked Daniel, whispering as loud as she dared. Daniel crouched down and reached for something on the ground.

"I thought I saw something," he answered, not looking up. Sam moved to hover over him, awaiting further news of his discovery.

"Well, we're on the right track, at least," Daniel said, rising, a glinting piece of something in his hand. Sam took it from him and smiled. She held it up for Janet to see.

"Power Bar wrapper. The Colonel was here." Sam put the wrapper into one of her pockets and resumed her position. As Daniel moved back into formation as well, Janet watched him. He was squinting, his hand unconsciously moving to rub his temple.

"Daniel?" she whispered just loud enough to get his attention. "You feeling okay?"

Daniel looked at her quizzically before noticing his fingers, massaging his head. He smiled shyly at her. "Yeah. Sure. I'm fine, Janet. Much better. I think Talin really did stop messing with my neurofilter. Nothing to worry about."

Janet looked back over her shoulder incredulously. "Well, since you have them anyway, take a couple of those painkillers. Might help."

He smiled at her understanding and reached into his pocket for a pair of those marvelous little pills. He was, however, a little jumpy, and dropped them when he was startled by the sound of a Jaffa, speaking in Goa'uld, seemingly giving orders to another.

Sam raised a fist, signaling for the group to stop and find cover. They all stopped and crouched down in the brush. Daniel craned his neck to try and better hear the conversation going on a short distance away. Silently, Sam made her way over to him.

"Can you understand what they're saying?" she whispered. He shook his head.

"No, they're still too far away." Sam stopped and thought for a moment, and Daniel patiently awaited an answer to his implied question. He smiled when she turned to Leske and Janet.

"You guys stay here. Daniel and I are going in for a closer look," she said.

Janet looked ready to protest, but Sam would have none of it, raising her hand to silence her friend. Janet got the hint. Leske just looked smug.

"Watch our backs," Sam smiled to Janet, and with that, she and Daniel moved out. They stayed low as they weaved through a maze of trees and bushes by the faint light of the moon. As they traveled, the voices became louder and clearer, but Daniel didn't exactly like what he heard.

They came upon the clearing almost unexpectedly and Sam motioned for Daniel to get down and stay still as she took out her binoculars.

"What are they saying?" she asked him in a barely audible whisper.

"Anubis is on his way," Daniel replied, sharing Sam's sentiment as she swore under her breath.

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding his head. She brought the binoculars down from her face and handed them to Daniel.

"No, look." Puzzled, Daniel took the binoculars from her and looked down into the camp. His breath caught in his throat at what he saw. Jack and Teal'c were both slumped over in little meter-cubed cages, looking significantly worse for wear. Jack looked like he was at least conscious, but he and Teal'c were both battered and bruised. If they intended to break them out, he fervently hoped their conditions were good enough for them to be able to make it back to the gate. And what then? Would they be able to get home, anyway? Daniel shook the thought from his mind, trying not to look that far ahead just yet.

Wordlessly, Sam got her feet stable beneath her and turned back into the forest. Daniel sighed and followed her.

* * *

Sam was just a little bit stressed out as she traveled through the forest.

The scientist in her couldn't help but marvel at every contact she had with errant branches, every cut and scrape she acquired. How could this place not be real? The technology and power that must be required to maintain a stable holographic environment must be incredible. Sam hastily quashed her former train of thought, and replaced the scientist with the officer.

As proven by the small cuts on her hands and the condition they had found Teal'c and the Colonel in, as well as Sorit's death, Sam couldn't ignore that, fake as her locale may have been, it was still dangerous. And now, they were running out of time. When Anubis showed up, their chances of breaking the Colonel and Teal'c out would be greatly reduced. No doubt the System Lord, conjured or otherwise, would bring with him more Jaffa. Not to mention the fact that he would probably want to interrogate her teammates personally.

Sam shivered at the thought. Talk about a bad day.

A twig snapped behind her, startling her out of her reverie. She swung her head around and sighed with relief as she only saw Daniel, watching the ground with renewed fervor. It was just Daniel. Sam mentally slapped her wrist for zoning out. She'd have to work harder to maintain her focus. She did, after all, still have a foreign object in her brain. For all she knew, someone could be messing with her head and she wouldn't even know it.

As she and Daniel approached the area where they had left Janet and Leske, Sam whistled and gruffly whispered, "Janet," so as not to surprise the two women.

"Sam?" came back another whisper, as Janet emerged from behind a large huddle of bushes.

"We've got to go in now," Sam responded hurriedly, forgoing any kind of greeting to her friend. Janet nodded grimly, catching the Sam's concerned tone.

"Wait, a minute... go *in*? Now? But-"

"But what?" snapped Daniel. "You didn't honestly expect us to just leave them behind, did you? Or maybe you thought we would just stand by and let Talin do with us what he wants? Really, Leske. You should know us better than that, by now." Leske's jaw dropped and she quickly snapped it back as Daniel put her in her place. The decision having been made, she reluctantly acquiesced and slowly nodded, ashamed that she had even considered leaving Jack and Teal'c behind. What had she been working for anyway?

"What's the plan?" Leske asked, directing her attention to Sam.

"There's a fair amount of cover bordering the clearing where the Jaffa have made their camp. The Colonel and Teal'c are outside, but they're being held in cages. We're gonna have to break them out. You and Janet find a place you can fire from without being seen. Daniel and I are going in, you two cover us. Take out as many Jaffa as you can."

"Sam?" asked Janet, quietly. Sam turned to her. "What then?"

Sam sighed. "Well, I suppose we make a run for the gate. Leske, where's the real gate?"

"Same place as the fake one. Our SGC is built within the holographic environment. It's just a matter of turning off certain projectors and dialing out."

"So we have to get back there in order to get home?"

"It's hard to say, Sam. I mean, if you think about it, we're literally still in the same room as the gate, we just can't see it."

"And we can't use what we can't see," Daniel added grimly.

"Uh." Leske raised a finger. "There's also the small matter of getting the codes to disable the rest of your neurofilters."

Daniel, Sam, and Janet just stared at her for a moment, obviously that small issue had been forgotten in their quest to rescue the Colonel and Teal'c. Suddenly, Daniel fell to his knees, cradling his head in his hands.

Janet went to join him. "Daniel?"

"Leske?" Daniel whispered between gritted teeth. "What the hell is he doing to me?"

Hanging her head, Leske replied, "Talin...your neurofilter is not thoroughly absorbed... He must've grabbed another controller. I guess he thinks he can get more of a response from you in the state it is in than tweaking your other teammates'."

"Punishment?" Sam asked.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Leske responded, "No, I'm thinking it is more of the show of 'who's the boss'...remember, he can see all that we do, hear everything. Nothing we are planning is going to be a surprise, remember the cameras are everywhere...the Jaffa could be waiting for us at every turn."

Daniel's breathing slowed from panting to resuming normal respiration. With a cleansing breath he replied shakily, "I got Talin's point...ow."

Sam was trying to keep her pounding heart from leaping out of her mouth. The scenario kept getting worse. The rules kept changing...and she was having a terrible time attempting to keep up. Neurofilters, Talin, Jaffa, Anubis...enemies from within and surrounding them. A thought suddenly occurred to her...maybe not a long term answer, but a possible short term one to at least rescue the Colonel and Teal'c and keep Talin guessing. Feeling very paranoid, Sam whispered, "Look, guys...just follow my lead. We can't really telecast our plans...we can't afford to...just trust me."

"Always, Sam," Daniel countered as he attempted to get up. Janet placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Daniel, take a break." Janet produced her medication for Daniel, then inquired, "Pain killers...take them...you didn't before, did you?"

"No, Daniel replied sheepishly. "They dropped and..."

"Take two...if nothing else, it will take the edge off if Talin tries again, okay?"

Daniel shook his head, digging out two painkillers and swallowed them in conjunction with Janet's. Hoping that Talin didn't follow up on Janet's 'try agaIn' idea. Daniel regained his footing and looked towards Sam for guidance.

"Let's go," she said, glancing at each member of her team in turn before heading back toward the Jaffa camp.

* * *

"Goddamn Leske..." Talin was outraged. He should have killed her in the gate room. Because of her, their awareness of the Environment was interfering. Daniel knew it was there, but was more intent on saving his teammates than he was in his surroundings. Talin took morose pleasure in the grimace that appeared on Daniel's face via the monitors as he tweaked his neurofilter.

Markhen interrupted Talin's rantings. "Sir, Central Station is on line one for you."

Talin knew what was coming as the Central Station call was fed into his headset.

"Yes...I know..." Talin turned his back on the viewing screens, whispering into the microphone attached to the headset. "No, I haven't lost control. No the players aren't controlling the game. Time...this will work with time. The public needs to be patient...I resent that...masochistic tendencies. Twelve months, highest ratings..." With barely controlled anger Talin countered, "I understand."

Central Station disconnected the call and Talin turned to view the feedback from the monitors and auditory listening, whispering, "If I'm going down, SG1, I'm taking your with me." He chuckled. "That includes you, Doctor, and Leske. *Especially* Leske."

Marken sat frozen in his position as head technical advisor. His computer expertise enabled him to tap into Talin's conversation with the head honcho, and his close proximity to Talin permitted him to overhear the threatening statement that Talin had just issued. He had to find a way to warn Leske.

* * *

Chapter 14

Daniel followed Sam once again through the brush, trying desperately to avoid making any unnecessary sounds. He listened for Leske and Janet, but was relieved to find that they had already gone their own way and hidden themselves.

As they got closer and closer to the camp, Daniel could begin to make out voices again. The gruff, serious orders being given from one Jaffa to another, and Daniel focused all of his attention on staying with Sam, trusting her to take a path free of obstacles.

When they arrived at the clearing, Sam stopped and turned toward Daniel, silently drawing her Zat. Getting her message, Daniel did the same.

"You get the Colonel, while I go for Teal'c. Don't hesitate to fire, Daniel," Sam whispered. Daniel nodded, accepting that casualties in this situation were a necessary evil. Sam nodded back. They were about to head out, when Sam turned back to him, eyes wide.

"Daniel?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful. Please." Daniel smiled at her, reassuringly, and they both turned their attention to their imprisoned teammates.

Daniel wished he could keep an eye on Sam as she skittered over toward Teal'c's cage, but he knew it was important for him to pay attention to his own task. Jack. Have to get Jack.

He moved quietly out of the brush that had been hiding him, and began running toward Jack's cage. He was aware of two guards keeping watch over each cage, and stopped just out of their lines of sight. He knelt down and took aim with his Zat, checking first to make sure that Sam was in position as well. From her location across the clearing, Sam gave a slight nod to show him that she was ready.

In the same moment, Sam and Daniel both opened fire, emitting two shots each, downing all four guards. Daniel could see Jack's head jerk up in surprise at the sounds. The young man couldn't stop a small smile from creeping to his lips at the sight of his best friend alive and relatively well.

Daniel stood up and ran the short distance to Jack's cage. crouching down next to it, he immediately began to examine the rather complicated-looking lock on the door.

"Hi, Jack," he said, barely sparing a moment to look up from his work.

"Daniel," Jack responded, dryly. His negligible response made Daniel look up.

"Uh, Jack?"

"Yes, Daniel."

"You're uh... you're not surprised to see me?" Daniel said, puzzled. Jack smiled. The most sincere smile that Daniel had seen directed toward him in a very long time.

"Are you kidding? I'm convinced you've got more lives than Apophis. You can tell me all about it later, but now, quit messing with the lock, and just go get that staff over there."

Daniel blinked, confusion gracing his features. Jack sighed. Death hadn't changed Daniel one bit.

"Shoot the damn lock *off*, Daniel," he clarified, nodding his head in the direction of one of the Jaffa.

"Oh! Right!" Daniel shook his head, cursing his occasional lack of common sense, and ran to pick up the staff. This was going to be a lot louder than those Zat blasts.

He glanced quickly over at Sam, who had picked up a staff weapon of her own, and gave a little nod. She nodded back, and they fired simultaneously. The locks blew off, and lights went on all over the camp. Daniel ran for Jack's cage to help him open the door. Jack struggled to his feet, and noticing the trouble he was having, Daniel moved immediately to support the battered man with an arm around his waist.

Jack gratefully accepted the help, and the two men ran as fast as they could, as bursts of fire rained around them. They ducked and weaved their way to the relative safety of the forest.

* * *

It didn't take long for Sam to decide that she should have had Daniel go after Teal'c and get the Colonel herself. Teal'c was not in prime condition, and she noticed it the second he tried to stand up. While his symbiote must have been working on healing the damage... he had been performing kel-no-reem when she approached his confines... there was plenty of damage to be healed.

Sam did her best to support Teal'c as they ran for the forest, while Teal'c worked at keeping himself upright and supporting his own weight.

Staff blasts hit the ground all around them, and even a few impacted with the trees at the edge of the clearing. And the Jaffa's aim was improving with every bolt.

Sam couldn't help but start smiling with relief when she heard the repeated reports of P-90 rounds firing from somewhere in the trees. Janet and Leske. The staff blasts subsided some, and Sam's optimism forced her to imagine the Jaffa in the camp behind her dropping like little flies. Granted, she seriously doubted that either Janet or Leske had that great of aim, to be able to shoot them out one by one, but the rain of bullets must have at least forced the Jaffa to find cover.

Sam spared a glance behind her and gasped. Optimism might be more fun, but pessimism usually got one closer to the truth. The Jaffa were regrouping. Teal'c looked back as well and urged the Major on with a slight nudge, directing more of his own energy into their harried flight.

Carter allowed herself only a moment of relief as they made their way into the trees.

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit! Time to go, Leske!" Janet shouted as the bolts from many, many staff weapons grew closer and closer to their *formerly* hidden position, silence no longer being an issue. Both women hastily drew their guns into their bodies and got up, trying not to stumble over the debris they displaced when they moved.

Janet firmly decided as she ran as fast as she could, lungs burning and legs cramping, that she would *never* envy the SG-Teams again. Give her a nice, cozy infirmary any day.

In fact, as a bolt of searing heat bit into her hip, she decided that she would just about sell her soul for a nice, cozy infirmary.

Janet's first instinct was to scream as she fell gracelessly to the forest floor, but her voice caught in her throat, and it came out as more of a distressed squeak. "Janet?" Leske said, noticing that her companion was no longer behind her. Rather curious, Janet took a peek at the damage while Leske ran back to help her. It really wasn't that bad, contrary to the intense pain it was causing. She sighed as she realized that the bolt had merely grazed her.

Leske reached her within seconds and leaned down to help the Doctor back to her feet, ducking unconsciously as another blast barely missed her head. "You okay?" she shouted over the din. Janet looked up.

"Uh, yeah. Fine, fine," Janet responded. They had more important things to worry about than a little burn. She scrambled to her feet and continued stumbling through the brush, her only thought becoming reaching the Gate.

* * *

As their progression brought them closer to the gate, the Colonel was able to take some of the burden off of Daniel. Jack had felt Daniel falter once or twice, but he never lessened his hold on his friend. Jack had a million questions running through his mind, not the least of which regarding Daniel's ascension; but now was neither the time nor the place for them.

"Ow, Jack!" Daniel cried as he felt Jack pinch the tender part of his inner arm. "What the hell did you do that for? Ow!" With no time to stop and rub the minor wound, Daniel did a quick turn towards Jack.

"Just checking to see if you were solid. Not some white wispy thing, Danny-boy. Sorry."

Daniel was about to comment, when Jack pulled him up short so they wouldn't slam into the halted bodies of Sam and Teal'c. Teal'c looked slightly better than when he had been freed from the cage. His eyes met Daniel's and he bowed as much as his injuries would permit. "You are looking better, DanielJackson."

"Thank you Teal'c...I wish I could say the same for you."

"My symbiote will take care of healing me."

"I truly missed..."

"As I have missed..."

"Enough of this reunion crap... Carter, what is it this time...Plan A?"

"Actually, sir, no time for questions or answers, Big Brother is watching."

Jack spun around, eyes upwards. "Huh, Carter?"

Sam exhaled. "We really have no time for a full explanation at this time. Just think 1984, sir."

"Why? What happened in 1984?"

"Sir, just trust me please." She pleaded, rolling her eyes. "We are rendezvousing with Janet and Leske at the gate. Now Colonel, it is imperative that you keep your voice...."

"Janet...Janet? What the hell is Fraiser doing here and who is Neste?"

"Leske, Jack...promise to fill you in later. Not now." Daniel shut his eyes in discomfort, Jack noticed obviously in pain.

"Daniel...something I should know about?"

Sam looked with abject horror at Daniel. She couldn't afford for him to lose consciousness now. They needed to get to the Stargate to find...."There Daniel," she said, pointing to an outcropping of trees to her right. "There're Leske and Janet." She placed an arm around Teal'c to assist him, but was waved off.

"My symbiote has repaired much of the damage, MajorCarter. I am able to walk unassisted." Thankfully, she handed him the staff weapon she carried and drew her weapon. Jack refused assistance from Daniel, who actually looked like he could use the assistance himself. He relieved Daniel of his staff weapon. Suddenly, another thought dawned on him.

"Shit...Jacob. Carter, your dad..."

"Is not here, Colonel." Sam shuddered, realizing that Sorit's body still lay at the base of the DHD.

As the group neared the clearing with the Stargate, Jack waved his staff at Daniel. "We'll cover you, make a run to the DHD and dial home."

"Home?" Daniel questioned. "Umm...Sam?"

"Later, Daniel." The complete SG1 rounded the gate, approaching it along the right side of the tree line. Prodding Daniel, Sam motioned for him to run towards the DHD while they covered him along with Janet and Leske.

"Leske..." He hissed. "What am I dialing to get us off this planet, back to the SGC Environment?"

"Dial like you are dialing earth..." Leske answered.

"Huh? I'm not sure I understand."

Leske grabbed his arm impatiently. "Daniel, we have no time for me to explain the logistics to you *now*, just dial earth."

Daniel took off at a sprint, making it to the DHD without shots being fired. Talin may have called off his Jaffa but he had definitely started playing with Daniel's neurofilter again, as the pain increased in intensity.

Daniel put in the glyphs for earth, and was up to the 4th symbol when a staff blast hit the ground to his left, answered by numerous reports from his friends' weapons at his right. He bent for a moment, taking refuge behind the DHD, then continued with his dialing. With his hand raised to hit the crystal in the middle, the DHD exploded, sending him tumbling to the hard ground. He had the foresight to turn on his stomach and cover his head as pieces of the DHD rained upon him. Daniel turned over slowly and watched in mock horror as the planet melted around him, his companions, and the Jaffa they were battling. The players of the game were left standing in a cavernous room, surrounded by walls covered with voluminous wires.

Before he lost consciousness, even from forty feet away, Daniel could hear Jack expunge, "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here?!"

* * *

Daniel slowly opened his eyes to see his friends bending over him, expressions of concern apparent on their faces. "I *so* did not need that," Daniel said, adjusting his glasses. Moaning, he brought his hand up to massage his already aching head. He gently pushed Janet's hands away as she attempted to go into Doctor mode. "I'm really fine, I just had the wind knocked outta me. What happened?" he asked, using Teal'c's assistance to pull himself to a sitting position.

Jack snorted. "Jackson luck. Jaffa shoots, Jaffa misses, scores a hit on the DHD. Planet disappears and Jaffa disappear through that door over there. Carter, why is there a door on a planet? And why is there a dead guy next to the DHD, dressed in the outfit Jacob had on? Janet, you have a staff burn on your thigh. Why does Janet have a staff burn on her thigh? NOW will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?!"

"Leske, care to tell..."

"Whoa, whoa...Daniel. Me first, remember your commanding officer."

Carter turned towards Jack, unsure of whether Talin was playing with her filter or not as she answered her CO. "With all due respect, for once, sir, please shut the hell up."

Jack's jaw dropped and, totally chastised, he answered, "Shutting up now, Carter."

Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c listened while Leske gave them the condensed version of SG1's past year, during which time Carter found limited medical supplies in the packs provided by Talin and treated Janet's injuries. Janet kept a watchful eye on Daniel.

"In my head...the bastard has a device in my head?" Jack looked at teammates in horror. "All of our heads?"

"Tell him the rest Leske....the tweaking...tell him now." Daniel demanded, anger flashing in his eyes. Leske proceeded to inform the Colonel of what Talin had done to his and Daniel's friendship. Jack wasn't sure if he should be gladdened by the news that there was an explanation to his change of attitude towards Daniel, or ashamed that a technological device could have such an impact on a friendship that had meant so much to him. There was no time to research the answer to that one just then. The need to get home, to the real earth, needed to take precedence above all.

"Leske...this Environment...what happened to it? Where did it go?" Jack asked.

"Every Environment has two shut off switches. One in the control room which Talin and the technical advisor have privileges to and one in the actual Environment that the players are participating in. Obviously the shut off for this one was hidden in the DHD."

"Obviously," Daniel groaned.

"Leske, where is the main SGC shut off?" Sam asked.

"It's in the control room, but the interface is encrypted. Only Talin has access to it," she replied. Sam nodded her acknowledgement.

Leske leaned down, helping Janet to her feet. "Ready Daniel?" Sam asked, as Daniel got up slowly.

"Let's blow this Popsicle stand." Daniel echoed one of Jack's best used euphemisms.

As they made their way to the door, while covering their six, a glint of metal caught Sam's eye. With a nervous glance she quickly bent down to snag the item which had captured her interest. A Zat...probably dropped in haste from a departing 'Jaffa". Sam slipped the Zat into one of her BDU's multiple pockets. Leske's snapping of fingers brought Sam back to reality as she began remembering something. "Oh, by the way, guys...while your weapons worked in this Environment, they may not work in the SGC Environment." Leske anxiously explained, chewing on her bottom lip. Sam patted her pocket containing the newly acquired Zat, functionable or not, she felt more in control with it in her possession.

"Oh, peachy. This just keeps getting better and better."

Sam took point and Teal'c their six as they exited the door into what looked like... "Jesus...is this the ladies' room?" Jack asked.

Leske did her best to stifle a laugh at how indignant the Colonel was over the situation. Teal'c just kept his eyes straight ahead, though thoroughly embarrassed.

"I'm so stupid...that's it!" Leske said, louder than necessary.

"Sshh!" Sam whispered.

"No you don't understand. The cameras are switched off as soon as the Environment shuts down. There are numerous doors in the Environment, leading to different areas of the SGC...hidden doors. Doors workmen use to travel in and out of a working environment. The cameras are off...the cameras are off in the bathrooms at SGC. No cameras...Talin hasn't a clue where we are."

Jack was still stuck on the bathroom issue. "Privacy...you gave us privacy...Peachy."

"Uummm... not all the time...the cameras in your homes were also in the bathroom...those stayed on."

"Eww, too much information," Jack said. Sam just ducked her head and Daniel turned a bright shade of red on every piece of skin that was exposed.

There was really no time to go into this but Leske couldn't refuse the dig. "An enormous amount of money was made from a magazine full of the bathroom shots; called 'SG1 Exposed'."

Though the situation was dire, Janet smiled when she realized SG1 couldn't bring themselves to even look at each other. Suddenly, she began to laugh. "Janet..." Sam began, with the hint of a smile beginning, soon she succumbed to the laughter. The Colonel even saw the humor in the situation and soon joined them, followed by Daniel. They even received a smile from the normally stoic Jaffa.

The laughter stopped abruptly as Daniel sank to the ground in obvious pain. "Talin is getting really pissed, guys. Can we move this along?"

Janet leaned down in front of him, concern apparent on her face. "Sorry, Daniel. Leske, any ideas?"

Leske closed her eyes in thought. "Daniel...still have the DaD that Talin gave you?"

Eyes closed against the onslaught of pain, he nodded yes.

"I need to use my IHFG to morph and gain access to your records...hopefully they are still in the infirmary. Or, I need access to a computer terminal in the infirmary without anyone knowing what I am doing. Sam and I can leave the bathroom without anyone becoming suspicious, hopefully. We'll get the codes, come back for you, and gain entrance into the real gateroom. I can't think that far ahead. We'll get the codes and then return back here. Janet, let me have your IHFG." Janet removed the device and handed it to Leske. "Janet, you stay and keep on eye on Daniel and the rest of the boys."

Sam stood to join Leske and let the woman attach the device under her uniform. Seething slightly from Leske's calling her team, 'her boys'. Sam clenched her fists in anger, realizing that the terminology was gleaned from her memory. Jack was unhappy that the team was again being split up on an alien world. No matter how much this place resembled SGC, it wasn't home.

He followed Carter to the door. "Carter, I just got my team back together. Let's keep it that way, okay?. Play safely with the aliens."

"I promise, Sir," she said gently, moved by the words usually left unspoken from the Colonel.

Leske adjusted both her and Sam's IHFG's and the remaining members watched the duo morphed into a charge nurse and lab technician from the infirmary. Four pairs of eyes watched and said silent prayers as the bathroom door swung shut.

* * *

Chapter 15

Jack moved the garbage pail in front of the door, hoping to dissuade anyone who might want to enter. Teal'c used the staff weapon to blow the handle off the door that had led them from the environment.

"Weapons work...that's a plus."

"We are essentially trapped... it will only be a matter of time before they find us," Daniel said, attempting, but failing, to stifle a yawn.

"Daniel, have you slept since you ascended?" Jack asked.

"Yes and no ...Yes, I slept," Daniel said, even though the 30 minute nap in his office seemed a lifetime ago. "But no, I never ascended Jack." Daniel proceeded to tell Jack his story of meeting Talin for the first time.

Jack leaned forward, touching the marks Daniel had received from the shattered glass. "From what I can understand, Talin turns off certain protocols in the Environment to make the story..." Daniel waved his hands around. "I don't know...more believable, I guess." He offered Jack a small smile in compensation.

"It never happened, Daniel...none of it. Cassie being sick, Nirrti, Orlin, Chaka, the Tollans being destroyed...Anubis?"

"None of it Jack. Oh, it happened. It happened to us, but not to anyone else."

"The Jaffa uprising?"

"Sorry, Teal'c...not on..."

"Daniel, the robot... the replicators?" Jack hinted at the incident that had been the culmination of a year's worth of hurt and anger.

"Never happened in reality. Reese never existed...only in our minds. Well actually in the minds of the people of this planet. Wanna laugh...I bet they showed that one during sweeps week...the gateroom scene was a killer."

Jack kept his eyes pinned to the floor as he examined his boot laces. "Daniel, I'm you know...about..."

"Yeah, me too, I shouldn't have called you..."

"I didn't know..."

"We weren't ourselves. Right, Janet?" Jack looked beseeching at the doctor for confirmation that there was an actual reason for their...for his behavior in the gate room.

"Right. We weren't ourselves." Daniel turned towards Janet, a look of hopeful resignation on his face.

Shaking her head, Janet could only begin to imagine what the hell happened in their reality. "From what Leske told me, these devices are capable of interfering with thought patterns, things you wouldn't normally do..."

Daniel was mortified by the thoughts he had harbored towards a man he had considered his best friend two years ago. His voice broke with a multitude of emotions. "I'm sorry that I..."

Jack, still unable to make eye contact, squeezed Daniel's shoulder in reply. Too many doubts were crowding his brain, like why didn't he question Daniel's ascension? Was it because he was a good friend or was it because Talin had his filter thingy working overtime?

Daniel eased himself off the floor, and began pacing the tiled, confined space of the bathroom. "Jack, I think we should be doing something." From the tone of Daniel's voice, Jack knew he wasn't going to be thrilled as to where this was going.

"Yes, Daniel?"

"We don't want this happening to anyone else, do we?"

"No, Daniel." Jack groaned as protesting knees supported his weight whilst lifting himself from the floor. "We do not. But we are waiting right here for Carter and What's-her-name."

"Leske, Jack." Even Daniel really didn't want to do what he was going to suggest. He wanted to curl up on this bathroom floor and sleep for days, but he needed to go home. He needed to see his teammates go home.

"Leske. Whatever... we are waiting here for them."

"No... it will save time if we find the control room, and..."

"And *what*, Daniel?" Jack asked, emphatically, not wanting to split the team up again. Having his eggs rolling around in too many places usually ended up with someone getting scrambled."

"DanielJackson is correct, O'Neill."

"Aw jeez, Teal'c, I thought you were kel-no-reeming in the corner. Doc...how bout you? Why don't you put your two cents in?"

She knew what the Colonel wanted to hear and she knew what she really wanted to say...that Daniel and the rest of the team really belonged in the infirmary at home...but they were not going to get home unless every portion of this nightmare was taken care of. "I happen to agree with Daniel, Colonel."

"See, Jack?" Daniel began with an almost maniacal expression. "I still have the ability to morph into whomever I want. He pulled his shirt down to show Jack the device. "I can morph into an SF and hold you prisoner, asking to find Talin. No one will question...they are looking for you anyway...and they will lay out the red carpet for me to escort you to the control room. Isn't that easy?" Daniel was practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "It can't fail." Lowering his eyes, he whispered. "I won't let it fail. We lost one year of our lives...one year. We can't allow that to happen to anyone else, Jack."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. The plan was almost ludicrous in its simplicity.

Daniel chewed on his bottom lip, anxiously glancing at Jack. Janet silently hoped this would work, and they would not end up rescuing Daniel and Jack. "Daniel..."

"Janet, I'm fine." He answered before she even asked the inevitable question. The pounding in his head had somewhat decreased in decibels, but his need to make this right was more important than how he felt.

"All right Daniel. We have a go...but, I'm morphing, and I'm carrying the gun. I can say that we found you unconscious in the ladies' room..."

"Jaaack."

"Stop whining...I'm thinking. Okay, obviously Talin would have sent SF's in search of us." Jack wiggled his fingers by his temple illustrating the point. "Talin's been fiddling with your thingy, you passed out....Daniel...are you with me, Daniel?"

"Jack..." Daniel's breathing had increased to panting as he turned a panicked expression to his friend. "I think Talin is getting really pissy right about now. Um... and Jack, I don't think your idea about me losing consciousness is that far off the mark."

"Shit..." Jack stepped forward just in time to stop Daniel's head from impacting the hard floor. He laid him down gently, looking towards the doctor for guidance.

"Okay Janet, give. What the hell is going on?" Janet bent down, checking Daniel's vital signs. Shaking her head, "We need to get him home, Colonel."

"Dammit, Janet. Don't you think I know that? We all need to be home. Just explain what happens with these things in our heads."

"The neurofilters disconnect when you leave the planet, or when the Environment shuts down. There is approximately a 36 hour window to enter the codes to disable the neurofilter..."

"What happens if the codes aren't entered, Janet...and I *so* know I am not going to like this answer."

"They self destruct."

"As in boom?"

"Actually, Colonel... Leske didn't exactly allude to the process of self-destruction."

"How are the codes entered...?"

"With the DaD device. But when Daniel came back to earth, there was no DaD...so Leske built a bastardized one and deactivated the filter with that."

Daniel moaned in discomfort and pulled his arms over his head. "Obviously it didn't work that well."

"Well that's one theory...the other is that the filters get absorbed into the body. Daniel's must still have some window that Talin can reach."

"Daniel...come on, Daniel...I need you semi-conscious." Jack bent down and shook Daniel's shoulder. "Go 'way, Jack."

Jack propped him up to a sitting position... "Daniel, pain killers."

Daniel waved him away. "I'm fine." He attempted to stand, but Jack grabbed him just as his knees buckled out from underneath him. "Think I'll just sit while you morph." Daniel said, as Jack lowered him to the floor again. Daniel disconnected the device and handed it to Jack. Jack requesting the P90 was the last thing that Daniel heard before his vision faded out. "Shit, Daniel...now is not the time for that."

"Colonel, I'm not happy with you dragging Daniel all over this SGC..."

"*Now* you tell me this...little late, Doc."

"O'Neill...I believe I hear someone approaching."

"Okay...let's get this show on the road." Jack dialed the device and morphed into an SF. Teal'c assisted him in bringing Daniel to a standing position. "Okay...wait here for Carter and Leske. After they return...give us an hour...no more...then head for the gateroom."

Jack patted Daniel's cheek. "With me, big guy?"

Daniel just nodded his head in agreement, never opening his eyes. "I'm fine, Jack."

"I know you are, Daniel...just follow my lead."

Teal'c quietly move the garbage can from the front of the door. "ONeill..."

"Don't worry Teal'c, I'll take care of Jack," Daniel mumbled.

"I would expect no less, DanielJackson."

"Colonel... in case of... "

"Doctor Fraiser...I don't really want to know, okay? Just watch out for the T-man for me."

As the Colonel and Daniel exited the bathroom, they could hear his voice echoing in the corridor. "Lookie here, guys...look what I found!"

* * *

Chapter 16

Sam had to fight the urge to duck her head every time she and Leske passed someone in the corridor on their way to the infirmary. It was so easy to forget that she didn't look like herself. And there was absolutely no reason why a lab technician would have to hide her face from an SF.

So, feeling distinctly uncomfortable and out of place, Sam simply clung to the one thing that she was at least kind-of sure of... the woman walking briskly in front of her. Leske, who she'd just met a few short hours ago, who she really had no good reason to trust except for the fact that she had no choice in the matter. This was the one person who knew what was going on and was willing to help them. Nope. No choice.

The tall middle-aged Lieutenant in her dreary lab coat settled into her role and simply followed the lead of the shorter Captain-nurse a few steps ahead, nodding slightly to the airmen in the halls.

Sam kept her worried mind occupied by trying to catch snippets of conversations that people were having with their radios or each other, trying to hear how the search for her and her AWOL companions was coming. She couldn't help but breathe continued sighs of relief when she heard streams of 'negative' and 'no, sir... we haven't located them yet' coming from headsets and radios worn by sergeants with rifles on their shoulders.

*Nope, don't mind us. We're nobody special at all. Just a couple of geek officers on our way to nowhere special. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...* Sam was starting to enjoy the whole disguise concept just a little too much. She stifled a grin as another team of SF's passed them without a second look. She really needed to get a grip. Just then was not the best time to burst out laughing. Sam felt positively high, and could barely bring herself to think straight. *Uh, oh. Can't think straight. Thingy in my head...*

Sam waited until they turned a corner and moved through the double doors to the main lower-level stairwell, before hissing a quiet warning to her guide.

"Leske!" she whispered. Whispering was fun. Why didn't she do it more often? She smiled brightly.

"What?" Leske whispered back, looking behind her both to check on Sam and to make sure nobody else was in the stairwell.

"I, uh, think that guy is messing with my, uh, you know... that... doohicky thing in my head. You know... that... *thing*."

Leske stared blankly at her for a moment and Sam had to lift a hand to her mouth to discourage threatening giggles from erupting at the ridiculous look on Leske's face. She looked so... confused. "Why do you think that?" Leske finally replied, though she probably already knew the answer from looking at the pained expression that trying not to laugh had produced on Sam's face.

"I feel really drunk." And with that, Sam's self control disappeared and she burst out laughing. As quietly as she could, of course, but Leske was driven to grab her and clamp both hands over her mouth until the fit subsided.

"Damn. Sam, you've got to pay attention to me. Focus, okay?" said Leske. Sam nodded from under Leske's grip. She did as she was asked and put all of her energy into attentively listening to the other woman. She was, after all, a genius. How hard could it be to pay attention to someone for just a minute?

"Good. Now, listen Sam. You're right. It must be Talin. He can't see us, so he's trying to alter your behavior to draw us out. To identify you. You've got to fight it, Sam. We'll have the codes in just a minute, but you've got to promise me you can behave for that long. Okay? They're counting on us, Sam. Just remember about Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, and Janet. You don't want anything to happen to them, do you?"

Sam sobered and she shook her head violently. She could behave. Just another few minutes. Piece of cake.

"You with me now?" Leske asked. Sam nodded and Leske removed her hands from Sam's mouth. To illustrate her serious readiness, Sam brushed off and straightened her lab coat, then plastered a very convincing frown on her face. Leske nodded and they nonchalantly ascended the stairs.

Sam still had her mask carefully in place when the pair emerged from the stairwell through a set of big double doors. Holy Hannah, but her legs felt like Jell-O and her head wasn't much better. She wasn't having fun anymore. She was just irked by the whole sensation.

Fighting to remain upright, Sam dutifully followed Leske the few more yards to the infirmary. Just a few more steps. No problem. Just one foot in front of the other. Marching in formation. Ants Marching. Dave Matthews Band. God, she hated that song. Reminded her of Boot Camp. God, she hated Boot Camp. Marching and marching... and rain. Lots and lots of rain. She had liked rain, once. Not anymore, though. Feeling soggy and icky. She felt icky, now. She just wanted to lie down and go to sleep.

Sam barely noticed when Leske grabbed her arm and threw a deadly glare in her direction. "Almost there..." she whispered. Sam heard it and nodded her head, blinking hard to keep her eyes from wandering. Yup. Moved right past drunken stupor into hangover. Fun.

"Stand up straight, Sam. Right now. Stand *up*!" Leske whispered harshly in her ear. Stand up, stand up. Sure. Easier said than done. Stand up. *Stand up, Carter! C'mon, Major. Get your Butt in gear*. The Colonel's face in her head melted away and became the gruff visage of her much-hated drill instructor from the Academy. *Cadet! This is no time to fall asleep on the job! What the hell do you think you're doing, Cadet! Stand up! On your feet! Or do you need your daddy's help for this, too?*

"No, Sir," she mumbled imperceptibly. How dare that jackass even *presume* that she couldn't get so far on her own. She would show *him*. She stabilized her legs beneath her and stood up stock straight, shrugging Leske's hand from her arm. She gritted her teeth and marched herself through the infirmary door and was vaguely aware of Leske's footsteps behind her. She had to hurry. That Jell-O feeling wouldn't stay away for long.

"Doctor Fraiser sent us to find some records and bring them to her in Medlab 3," Leske said to the nurse on duty. Without waiting for any kind of acknowledgement, Leske strode past Sam and whisked her into her friend's office. The chairs in front of the desk looked so inviting, but Sam refused to sit down. If she sat down, she wasn't so sure that she'd be able to stand back up again.

So she just stood in the middle of the office and watched as Leske opened file cabinet drawers in search of three elusive medical records. Sam sighed in relief as Leske held up the manila folders in victory. She must have forgotten about the cameras. Or she was beyond caring.

Without another thought, Leske took the files in one hand and Sam's arm with the other, and led her out of the infirmary. Sam played her part as best she could, but was relieved beyond comprehension when she and Leske slammed the door of the nearest bathroom behind them.

Sam leaned up against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing while Leske sat on the floor and began sifting through the files. As long as she just managed to stay focused, the swimmy feeling in her head wasn't quite so nauseating. She'd felt the same way when Adrian Conrad and his goons had had her all doped up. But then, that hadn't really happened, had it? Had Talin just been messing with her head then, too? Were those needles even real, or just holographic?

"Leske, now would be a good time," Sam said as she slid to the floor. Her heart was racing.

"Got it. Just a sec, Sam I've got to find the right codes," Leske replied without looking up from her work. She found the correct papers and took the DaD in hand, motioning for Sam to join her in the middle of the small room.

"Here... lie down and I'll get started," she said. Sam hesitated. "Sam, come on. I thought you wanted me to turn it off for you."

"Well, yeah. Of course I want it off... but I'm just a little anxious, okay? Is this gonna help our situation, or make it worse by making me as susceptible as Daniel?"

Leske thought for a moment. "I... I honestly don't know, Sam. I'm sorry. I have a theory that the only reason why Daniel is having such a problem with his is that the DaD I used to deactivate it was kind of a homemade version. If that's the case, you shouldn't have any adverse effects. If it's not... well, I really don't know. It's up to you."

Sam nodded her head slowly, considering her options. She wasn't any good to anybody as she was, having her behavior manipulated, anyway. If there was a chance that this could work, it was probably worth the risk.

"Okay, do it," Sam said as she moved to lie down on the concrete floor.

Leske smiled and got to work.

* * *

Jack supported Daniel through the hallway of SGC. He was suddenly very aware that this really wasn't *his* SGC, picking up on the subtle nuances. The brightness of the hallway lights, for example, made the saying 'all the better to see you with, my darling' come to mind, especially when taking into account the number of cameras located... every few feet. Jack shook his head in bewilderment, berating himself for not catching that and for not believing in Daniel...again.

Jack followed the lead of three airmen while gently trying to maneuver a barely conscious Daniel with an arm around his waist, bearing the brunt of his weight. Jack wished he could offer Daniel some words of comfort, aware that the airmen accompanying him to the control room would not permit it. "J'ck," Daniel moaned. Jack's heart stopped as he silently pleaded, 'So close, Daniel. Not now, please.'

"Shit," one of the airmen laughed. "He's calling for O'Neill. The guy who was willing to trade friendship for technology..."

"Hey, he's a military guy. What'd ya expect? Friends don't mean anything...they needed to save earth. Jackson couldn't handle it...he deserved to be outted," countered the second grunt.

Jack was ashamed. If that was how other people saw him, what did his team... what did Daniel think of him? The man who had written his eulogy, the man who repeatedly told him to 'shut up', the man who disintegrated their friendship with one bullet in the gateroom.

The airmen stopped in front of what looked like an oversized locker with the sign "Danger: Electrical Wiring" hanging on its metallic front. He must have passed this door over a thousand times in the year he had been on this planet, never questioning, never looking, never asking...accepting what was before him. The personification of the "don't ask, don't tell" military mindset.

The airman slid his ID badge through a vent in the door triggering a release mechanism. The door swung inward and shut automatically behind them.

Jack attempted to keep his emotions in check and his head straightforward upon entering the room. Monitors, monitors, monitors, showing... old scenes of SG1. Repeats? The room was devoid of personnel except for a tall, steely-eyed man he assumed to be Talin, and some nerdy guy sitting at what resembled a control panel. He opened his mouth to render some smart ass remark to Talin, but remembered his position in this scenario at the last moment, dropping Daniel unceremoniously at Talin's feet.

Jack answered in a voice that was strange to his ear. "Found Jackson in the ladies' room on level 28. Unconscious...No sign of anyone else. Guess he got left behind."

Talin bent to feel Daniel's pulse. Talin knew that he was being set up... somehow... but he wasn't exactly sure of the plan. Not being in control of the situation was making him nervous. Central Station demanded he step down within the hour. The monitors across the world were showing old scenes. Only the cameras in the control room were rolling, and Talin decided as a last ditch effort to play his hand.

"Doesn't look too good." Talin tweaked the device hidden in his pocket and watched the airmen observe Daniel groan in pain. All their faces were unreadable. "Doesn't sound too good either."

A thought flittered across Jack's mind, almost too fleeting to catch. He could almost grab it, but every time he got near the thought, it moved out of reach. Poor Daniel was in so much pain, maybe he should be put out of his misery.

Jack's heart started pounding when he realized where that thought had come from and what was to be done with it. The familiar feeling of someone else being in control of his thoughts, his emotions, his feelings...a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. A feeling he realized had dominated him for the better portion of the past year. Jack felt a part of him unconsciously slide the P90 in front of his body.

'Bingo' Talin thought. 'Got 'ya.' Talin relieved the airmen, as well as the blue-shirted nerdy guy behind the large control panel. Jack made a move to go, when Talin placed a hand on his forearm. "I don't think so, *Colonel*." The other airmen left without a sound or a backward glance in Jack's direction, but the nerdy guy lingered behind, attempting to make eye contact with Jack. Jack totally dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Talin didn't even glance in their direction as the group exited the control room.

* * *

Markhen hesitated for a moment as he considered his options. Talin had completely lost it, and suddenly, Jack and Daniel were in the control room at his mercy. He glanced quickly at his set of monitors one last time before complying with Talin's order to leave. He'd been watching two unfamiliar women travel the corridors... one looked a little worse for wear, displaying behaviors consistent with the ones Talin had induced in Major Carter, the other had very familiar brown eyes. They were just exiting a restroom on level 28 of the SGC. He knew Leske was back, he just hoped he had the right women.

He put on an act of confusion for the other men who had been asked to leave the control room, shrugging his shoulders and furrowing his brow, before heading down the corridor at a brisk walk. When he got to the door to the SGC, he immediately opened it and stepped into the base. He flew down the stairs to level 28, completely ignoring anyone he passed. So intent was he on his goal of finding Leske, that he almost plowed right through her in the hall.

"Dammit! Why don't you watch where... Markhen?" said the brown-eyed woman he ran into. She and her companion stopped and stared at him. He really hadn't cared much about looking out of place since Talin was occupied in the control room with Jack and Daniel.

"Leske! You gotta help 'em! Talin's got them in the control room and..." Markhen began talking a mile a minute, grasping Leske's forearms as he started dragging her in the direction he'd come from.

"Who? He's got who? Markhen, slow down. Talk to me. What's going on?" Lieutenant Labcoat, Major Carter presumably, threw Leske a puzzled look, and Leske replied with a small shrug and shake of her head.

"Talin... he caught Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. He's nuts Leske! You gotta help them!" Leske's eyes widened as her friend relayed this new information. "Here..."Markhen said digging into the pocket of this jacket and extracting a rumpled piece of paper, pressing it into Leske's hand. Whispering "The codes for the Environment. Main console, try them...they should work". He jumped as Carter yelled in his ear. "What about Teal'c and Janet? Where are they?" Major Carter asked, growing more concerned by the minute.

"Major Carter?" Markhen asked, just making sure. She nodded. "They didn't find anyone else... Just the Colonel and Daniel. The Colonel was wearing an IHFG, making like he had captured Daniel... probably a ruse to get into the control room... but it backfired. Talin's more in control now than ever, Les. He's got nothing to lose."

"Okay," Leske said firmly, pulling the DaD out of her pocket. "Sam, you take Markhen to the rendezvous point. He can deactivate Teal'c's neurofilter. I'm going to the control room." She handed the DaD to Markhen while speaking to Sam.

"What are you going to do?" Sam asked after her as Leske briskly walked away.

"The right thing!" she shouted, without looking back.

* * *

Chapter 17

Jack stood frozen by the turn of events and his inability to gain control. He noticed that Daniel was staring up at him, still in his prone position on the floor, totally baffled by the situation. Daniel's mind was working to try and clear the fogginess that surrounded it. Daniel's glance slid over the lone airmen standing in front of him, a confused expression worrying his face.

Talin squatted in front of Daniel, attempting to place a hand on his head as Daniel skirted away from his touch. "Feeling better, Daniel? I hope so." Talin glimpsed O'Neill's hand as it moved closer to the gun's safety mechanism.

"O'Neill. Come on... I think we are done with this little charade... hmmm?" Talin turned sadistic eyes on the man standing before him. "Before you shoot Daniel, at least let him see you for what you are."

Talin had released his hold on Daniel. With the lessened pain, Daniel was able to pull himself into a sitting position between Jack and Talin. Daniel furrowed his brow in concentration, attempting to sift through the fog that had settled in his brain. He squinted, forcing his blurred vision to focus as he gazed upon the man standing ramrod straight over him. "Jack?"

Jack ripped the device off, feeling his body morph into familiarity. "Don't worry, Daniel... I won't shoot you."

Talin laughed. "That's what you think. These past months, I've made you do things... and these acts were done without question. You've ..."

"Stop, I know what I've done, I know what you are capable of doing to me. But I *know* I am *not* capable of shooting Daniel."

"You just don't get it..." Talin replied. "All bets are off. The show is done. Over. Finished. Daniel actually saw to that... and I'm going to take him down with me. His curiosity... hey, in the beginning, it was a good thing... kept the show going. For the good of the earth, for the good of the people...but after a while...his sweetness can be a little bit nauseating. I believe I can echo your sentiment when I say it was never enough with him. Hmm... was it, Jack?" Proudly, Talin bragged. "I...I made sure every iota of every planet became an argument. Stay, go, meet, greet. Jack don't shoot, stay, leave, *believe* me, Jack. Couldn't have Daniel turning the tables on me." Moving his arms to encompass the poster-filled walls of the control room. "The audience loved it. I was walking into the realm of segregating Daniel from the rest of the team. Playing on their angst factor. You know how it is... a little tweak here," Talin watched in glee as Jack's fingers released the safety... "A little tweak there." Daniel groaned.

Jack heard a plea buried in his subconscious, somewhere... begging him to put down the gun. A plea issued in Jack's own voice, but it didn't register. Talin's hold on him was too tight, the messages that had been flitting through Jack's brain had stopped and were taking root.

"If you shoot Dr. Jackson, I will let you go...I will let you all go, Colonel. Even your teammates that are in hiding. Through the Stargate to your home... earth. Twelve months since you have been there. Shooting Daniel will put him out ofm his misery. You are... what is it called... yeah... Special Ops... one well placed bullet, and it will be over in seconds. Otherwise, I can drag it out... for as long as it takes to shoot him." Daniel's screams reverberated through the control room. Jack gritted his teeth in anger.

Talin placed the devices on the desk directly in front of him, lifting his hands up in surrender. "They are yours for the taking... just shoot Daniel." Talin played his final hand.

Daniel was unaware of Jack's dilemma. His whole being existed around the pain Talin was inflicting. Ideas... thoughts cascading through his mind, the pain was horrific, but in one second, an inspiration became crystal clear, something he never felt more sure of in his life. "Please shoot me, Jack!" He begged. "I can't stand the pain anymore." Daniel paused. "He's done something... I'm having a problem seeing and... and breathing. I don't know what he's doing..." Daniel seemed to struggle to find the right words. "Don't let this... anymore." Daniel's breathing became gasps as he attempted to fill tortured lungs with air. "Can't breath..."

"Ple'se, 'ack... make h'm stop. Let me go." Daniel begged his eyes filling with tears as he struggled for breath and the ability to make Jack understand him through slurred words.

"I can't, Daniel!" Jack shouted, as he remembered a different time, a different Daniel standing in a gate room, begging to be let go.

"I need you to do this!" Daniel screamed, pounding his fists on the carpeted floor.

Jack's hand shook as he attempted to gain control, keeping his P-90 close to his body. "I can't. Goddamn it, Daniel! Look at me, please."

Daniel turned tormented eyes in Jack's direction.

Tightening his hold on the gun to steady it within his shaking hands, Jack continued. "I listened to you once before... I agreed to let you go... and I... we lost you. It almost destroyed us, SG1 and me. It was destroying me."

Daniel drew a ragged breath, turning his back to Talin, addressing only Jack. "That wasn't me, Jack. This... this is me! I need you to let me go."

"No, Daniel. You say it wasn't you. Screw you. From where I was standing at the time... it looked like you, it talked like you... it sounded like you. It *was* you. I listened to you then, I'm not listening to you now. I will not lose you again!"

Jack swung the P-90 around and began shooting. Glass splintered and the sound of various electronics shorting filled the room as Jack shot out the monitors. Jack continued shooting until all the screens were a shattered mess and the floor was covered with slivers of glass.

Daniel was curled on the floor in front of Jack, his arms thrown over his head in a futile attempt to keep the noise of the exploding monitors at bay from his distressed mind. Daniel never raised his head to see Jack leveling the P-90 to his exposed back. Jack's facial expression bore a marked contrast to the body language Talin saw before him. Hatred, pure unadulterated hatred was radiating from Jack's eyes. Fear, as the loss of control for what he was about to do to a member of his team...his friend.

"Just do it. Please finish it off!" Daniel's muffled voice begged.

"My pleasure, Daniel." Leske said, firing her weapon and taking down Talin with one shot. Leske's body shook with the pleasure of injuring, hopefully killing, Talin. Reveling in her momentary victory, she panicked when the vision of Jack's gun still trained on Daniel's exposed back became her focus.

"No, Jack!" she yelled, hoping that her voice would shock him back into reality. Frantically stepping over broken glass and electronic paraphernalia that littered the floor, she dropped her weapon. She stood between Jack and Daniel, leaning across the table, grabbing the barrel of gun and pointing it away from Daniel. She watched as Jack blinked hard, resembling a sleepwalker awaking. Leske screamed his name and watched him visibly deflate and tremble with the reality of what he had almost done. Looking at the position of the barrel of the gun in relation to Daniel, Jack swung the offensive item around to his back and knelt by Daniel's side.

"Daniel?"

Leske found what she hoped was the DaD that Talin was using to tweak Daniel, and turned it into the off position, praying that it would alleviate his pain... Jack's neurofilter would just have to be deactivated later.

"Jack." Daniel turned his face to Jack and slowly opened one eye.

"Can you sit up?" Jack gently placed a hand on Daniel's forearm, willing to assist him if need be.

"Um...I think so." As Daniel gingerly righted himself, his eyes widened as he was overcome by a wave of dizziness. Jack never removed his arm and steadied Daniel's wavering body. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are," Jack said, taking note of the continued grimace gracing Daniel's face.

"It's just a headache, now, Jack. Nothing a few Tylenol won't cure. Honestly, I'm fine. Just fine."

"Guys... tender moments aside, we really need to get the hell outta here."

"Leske, what are you doing here? Where are Sam, Janet, and...Teal'c?" Daniel asked, using Jack's shoulder to bring him to an upright standing position.

"Nice shot." Jack pursed his lips in admiration of Leske's skills with her firearm as he looked with disgust at Talin's prone body.

"Oh... OH!" Daniel exclaimed, attempting to bend down to check on the condition of their tormentor.

"Jeez, Daniel." Jack grabbed his arm and righted him back to a standing position. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I hope he rots in hell for what he did to us."

"Oh, me too, Jack." Daniel nodded his head for emphasis, placing a finger at his temple to alleviate the pounding. "I was just checking to make sure he was really dead. Our enemies have a tendency of dying and then... not staying dead."

Jack's answer to Daniel was a smile and a squeeze to his shoulder.

Jack turned his attention to Leske. "Where are the rest of my people?"

Leske gathered up the secondary device and motioned for Daniel and Jack to accompany her. Over her shoulder, she threw the answer, "Headed towards the gate room. Markhen..."

"Markhen?" Jack questioned.

"The guy in the blue shirt that was here in the control room."

"Oh. The nerdy guy."

"Jack," Daniel replied angrily.

"Sorry, Daniel... I'm not referring to *you*, only to... oh, never mind."

"Markhen is part of the resistance. Before he left, he obtained the codes to turn off the Environment. He is a computer genius and was able to hack into Talin's files and retrieve the necessary information to turn off SGC. He couldn't help you and Daniel, but he found me... Well, to make a long story short, he gave me the codes..." Leske quickly booted up the console and punched in a series of numbers from memory. "Okay, that should do it... Come on guys, let's go. Like I said, Markhen should be bringing the rest of your people to the gate room."

Out in the hallway that had once been a bustling corridor within Cheyenne Mountain, Jack and Daniel found nothing but what resembled a tremendous warehouse with corridors and doorways dissecting the hallways. The control center was a separately housed building containing Carcelan technology, not part of the Environment, so it was left standing in its original form. The access to the control center was now a plain door with a knob. Jack turned around and tried the knob, turning it easily in his hands. "I'll be right back," he said ducking back into the control room. Before they had a moment to protest, Jack returned to them. Daniel questioned his departure with raised eyebrows.

Jack answered with a grin, forcing Daniel to acquiesce.

"The gateroom?" Daniel inquired.

"This way," Leske said, hopefully leading them to their way home, and not into a secondary battle with Ronar and his cronies.

* * *

Chapter 18

Teal'c was most uncomfortable. He could feel Dr. Fraiser's eyes on him as he sat in the corner of the small room, attempting to meditate. He was, however, distracted by both Dr. Fraiser's attention and the increasing haze fogging his mind, not to mention his worry for his teammates who were conducting missions of their own without him. Finally, Teal'c sighed and opened his eyes.

"Teal'c, are you okay?" Dr. Fraiser asked, her eyes filled with concern. She was sitting on the floor as well, leaning against the opposite wall, her arms crossed tightly around her torso.

"The wounds I sustained on the Tok'ra rescue mission are nearly healed, Dr. Fraiser. There is no need for concern. A confused look grew on the doctor's face.

"Tok'ra rescue mission? Is that what you were doing? Teal'... uh... just to make sure... you *do* understand that none of that was real, right?" she asked, leaning forward.

"I do understand, Dr. Fraiser. However, as I perceived it, it was in fact real. As has been the last year, even if it was real only for myself and the rest of SG1. What is done is done. And this place is still real in the truest sense of the word... it has merely been wool pulled over our eyes." Teal'c raised his chin as he conveyed his wisdom to the younger woman. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Teal'c, I'm sorry."

"To my knowledge, you have nothing to apologize for, Dr. Fraiser," Teal'c replied, puzzled. He regarded his friend, examining her for indications of what she was thinking.

"We... we tried looking, Teal'c... for a long time. But we couldn't get through. We couldn't find you, and we left you guys here... We should have done more, tried something else, anything..." Dr. Fraiser appeared on the verge of tears, and Teal'c rose slightly, creeping along the floor to comfort her. He crouched beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. He immediately dismissed the unbidden notion that leapt to mind, telling him to move his hand up just a bit more to her neck, and squeeze... He took a deep breath.

"Janet Fraiser... for as long as I have had the honor of knowing you, you have done nothing but fight for us, supporting us and saving us when we were in need. You are one of the finest people I have ever known." She opened her eyes and stared at him, eyes wide. Teal'c continued. "It was not possible for you, nor anyone else, to know what was taking place here. There was nothing you could have done. But now, you are doing no less for us than you have always done. I am proud and honored that you came here to help us, when it was not necessary. It is not you who should apologize, Janet Fraiser, but I. For never thanking you sooner."

"Teal'c... I... I don't know what to say. That's gotta be one of the-" Janet Fraiser and Teal'c were both startled when they heard a quick rap on the door, and held their breaths.

"Janet? Teal'c? It's me, Sam. Open up!" Came a muffled voice from the other side of the door. Teal'c raised an eyebrow and Janet shrugged as she got up and moved to open the door.

Janet smiled brightly as she opened the door for her friend, but the smile faded as she saw that someone other than Leske was with Sam.

"Janet, this is Markhen. He's a friend of Leske's," Sam said as she slipped through the door. Janet stepped back and crossed her arms, her face darkening.

"Yeah, like *Ronar*?" Janet replied. Sam deactivated her IHFG and glared at her friend.

"Relax, Janet. Teal'c, how are you feeling? Any weird headaches or dizzy feelings? Unusual thoughts or impulses?" Sam asked, redirecting her attention toward Teal'c. He bowed his head slightly as she and Markhen moved toward him.

"In fact, I have experienced all of those symptoms, Major Carter. Is something wrong?" Sam smiled to her friend.

"Not for long, Teal'c. Markhen, here, is going to deactivate your neurofilter."

Teal'c bowed his head in assent and Markhen cautiously moved toward him. He was a lot bigger in real life. As Markhen got to work helping Teal'c, Janet took Sam aside.

"Sam, is this really such a good idea?" she asked. Sam nodded her head.

"Leske already deactivated mine, and I'm feeling a lot better. We think Daniel's just went a little haywire because she made her own DaD. This one here is the real deal." Sam paused before another thought came to mind. "Janet, when Markhen found us, he told us that Talin had the Colonel and Daniel. How long ago did they leave?"

Janet's eyes widened. "What? Only about twenty minutes ago. They were going to try and turn off the Environment at the main switch. Is that where Leske went?"

"Yeah. If Daniel and the Colonel have been compromised, she might be our only chance," Sam replied softly as both women turned back toward Teal'c and Markhen.

Teal'c was lying on the floor with Markhen rising from a crouch beside him. Teal'c was out like a light.

"All done. He should wake up in a minute," said the young man as he brushed off his pants. He handed Sam the DaD. Seconds later, Teal'c was already opening his eyes. Sam brushed past Markhen, nodding her thanks, and crouched down next to Teal'c, followed closely by Janet.

"Teal'c? How are you feeling?" Janet asked as the large man sat up.

"I am experiencing a slight pain in my head, however it is subsiding. I am fine." Sam and Janet both smiled and helped him up.

"Um... Major Carter?" Came Markhen's troubled voice from near the door. Sam looked over at him. "What now?" he continued. Sam shook her head and was about to answer when the bathroom began to melt away. The four people turned around, stunned to see that they were suddenly surrounded by a cold, warehouse type setting, with walls covered in wiring and various pieces of technology with which only Markhen was familiar.

"Well, I guess they turned it off," commented Janet. Sam nodded, and a second later, her eyes lit up.

"Markhen, the gateroom is only a short distance from here, right?" she asked. Markhen nodded.

"What are you thinking, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked. Sam smiled.

"I'm thinking that we need to get control of that Stargate, Teal'c."

"Um, Sam? Our weapons were holographic. They disappeared with everything else," said Janet. Sam looked at her with a wry grin on her face.

"Not all of them..." she said as she reached behind her and pulled a Zat from her waistband. Janet's eyes widened and Markhen took a step toward her.

"Wh- where did you get that?" he asked.

"Picked it up after the other Environment was turned off. Saw it just lying there on the floor. Figured it might come in handy later." Sam was positively beaming.

* * *

"Leske, what the hell is going on here?" Jack demanded with the realization that his gun had vanished into thin air as soon as he stepped from the control room.

"Well, Colonel... it looks like we are going to the gate room unarmed... The holographic weapons disappeared as soon as the Environment was shut off," she replied as she showed him her empty hands. "Unless you can use your Special Ops training to get someone to relinquish their weapon..."

"I'll work on it... Lead the way." Jack hesitated. "Leske, the Environment is shut down completely," he said, waving his hand to illustrate. "All through here, correct?"

Leske nodded her head in acknowledgement. Realization of the point Jack was attempting to make dawning on Daniel. "Jack, I don't believe Sam is going to wait in the bathroom, or whatever it has reverted to. I trust Sam would have taken everyone and gone straight to the gate."

"My thoughts exactly, Daniel, but as a precaution...Leske...can you take us on a route to the gate room that would pass the bathroom?"

"Actually, Jack... the bathroom would have just dissapated..."

"You are telling me that they would have been left standing in the middle of a... a huge-ass open room without protection, without walls, without a door, without a WEAPON?" Jack's face turned red in anger. Anger at the situation, anger at Leske, anger at the people who had taken a year away from his life and his teammates' lives... "You better hope nothing has happened to them, or..."

"Or what, Jack?" Daniel asked. "I want us to go home... all of us... not stand here and argue... point fingers. We don't have time for that. Our friends don't have time for that."

Jack glanced at Daniel and sighed. "Come on, let's move out."

Jack allowed Leske to take point through the unfamiliar maze of corridors, while he pushed a too-pliable Daniel in front of him. The threesome hugged the walls for a distance, coming to a stop when Leske issued the command to halt. Fingers to her lips, she pointed out a single soldier standing at the intersection of two halls, a weapon visible in his side holster. Jack easily overtook the distracted soldier and obtained a Zat and an unfamiliar type of handgun. Jack kept the Zat and attempted to hand the gun over to Daniel, when Leske grabbed it from his outstretched hands.

"Hey!" Daniel yelled in indigence, grimacing as the sound of his voice echoed in his head, starting his headache anew.

"Look, Daniel... no offense, but I'm leading the way to the gate room, and being in that position, I would prefer to be armed. The Colonel's covering our six... I'm sure you want whomever is watching your butt to be armed..."

"All right, Leske, I get the point," Daniel answered begrudgingly.

"Well, I don't. How do we know we can trust her?"

Daniel placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Listen to me. We can trust her, believe me. She risked her life to save me... to save *us*."

"Daniel," Jack replied a small smile playing on his lips. "I should listen to you. Like I shoulda listened to you in the Control Room and shot you."

Daniel blushed. His eyes slid down and he fidgeted under the older man's scrutiny. "Yes! I mean... no! I mean... thanks for not listening to me, Jack. Umm... back there in the... I didn't think the friendship..."

"I know Daniel."

"It's important to me that..."

"Knock it off, guys..." Leske said in an impatient whisper. "Finish it when you get back to earth."

"Sorry," they both answered simultaneously.

The hallways of the former SGC were mostly deserted. The majority of the occupants of the SGC environment had been actors, and, in all probability, were not going to wait around to see how the final scenario turned out. Daniel touched Leske's arm and pointed to a group of men disappearing around another hallway.

"Ronar's men," Leske whispered in response to Daniel's unasked question.

* * *

Chapter 19

Markhen pointed to a door with a simple doorknob.

"That's it?" Sam answered incredulously. "No pass codes, no swipe card?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Marken stated, "We didn't need one. It is... it was hidden by the Environment..."

"This cannot be as easy as it seems, Sam." Janet asked.

"We do not know what is on the other side of the door, MajorCarter."

"That's true Teal'c..." Sam said, placing her hand on the knob and motioning for the rest of her entourage to stay behind. Before Teal'c had a chance to intervene...

"No... Major Carter," Markhen said, covering her hand on the knob with his own. "I wouldn't raise suspicions entering. If you enter, Ronar and his goons know enough about SG1 to be aware that you wouldn't be alone. You are going to be placing everyone here at risk, should you enter."

"What do you intend to do? Go in there and subdue a whole contingent of military men with one Zat gun?" Sam questioned.

"Yeahsureyabetcha," he replied. "But believe me, Major, there will not be a contingent of military personnel in there. Not yet... Ronar hasn't been able to gain full control, so he is managing with a handful of men. Besides Ronar, maybe two more men..." He stopped following Major Carter's line of sight. His face registered shock, then fear, finally setttling on resignation. Teal'c and Janet followed suit.

"Ronar is aware of our position, MajorCarter," Teal'c said, gesturing to the security cameras mounted in the ceiling, the red eye blinking.

"I'm guessing these security cameras were not part of the Environment, eh, Markhen?"

Carter jumped as the door was suddenly flung open. "Come in, come in," Ronar motioned with his hand. The military men who occupied the room with Ronar escorted them in, guns drawn. "Zat, please Major," Ronar asked, and Sam reluctantly turned it over, based on the amount of fire power pointed in their direction.

"Please take a seat. Get comfortable." He leaned over and shut the door. "The rest of your party should be here in a few minutes. I'm really not going to go into any type of explanation until everyone shows up. I hate repeating myself."

Ronar's eyes on the video screen, he began a countdown. "Five, four, three, two, one." When he reached one, he threw open the door. "Hello!" Leske issued a small yelp of surprise upon coming face to face with Ronar. "Welcome, Leske, long time no see. Colonel O'Neill, Dr. Jackson, welcome also. Oh, before I forget, weapons, please." Jack and Leske handed over their weapons and stepped towards the group already seated.

Jack struggled to suppress a smile. Even though the situation was desperate, SG1 was all together... actually all *together*. Jack opened his arms and declared, "Hail, hail, the gang's all here."

"I am pleased to see you and DanielJackson are well," Teal'c noted.

"Headache, Daniel?" Janet asked.

"Nothing a few aspirin or pain killers won't take care of. Staff wound Janet?" Daniel countered.

"A few stitches, a shot of antibiotics... I'll be good as new, thanks for asking."

Pointing to his head, Jack inquired. "Major, those thingies?"

"Neurofilters, Sir. Leske turned them off. Have your codes and the DaD in my pocket right here."

"Glad to hear it... wouldn't want it to go..."

"Okay..." Ronar replied with a slight smile on his face. God, these people were so entertaining. Even close up and personal, it was obvious why their adventures had been the highest rated...

"Boom, Jack. Wouldn't want your neurofilter to go boom."

"Thanks, Daniel."

"Okay, enough with the platitudes, everyone. This is the way things are going to happen." Ronar stated.

Jack leaned over and whispered in Carter's ear, "His Plan A, Major. Always need a Plan A."

"Pay attention, Jack," Daniel hissed, as he gave Jack a slight shove.

Ronar began, "In all honesty, SG1 and Dr. Fraiser... you want to go home, and I want to send you home."

"So far I'm liking his Plan A."

"O'Neill."

"Sorry, Teal'c."

"I'm waiting for the 'but'," Daniel countered.

Exasperated, Ronar replied, "Dr. Jackson, in actuality, there is no reason for us to kill you. If you wanted to get technical, we were... are all part of Leske's little resistance in some form. We needed the gate control out of Talin's hands and placed into ours. What better way to do it than to show the scene in the control room with Dr. Jackson, Colonel O'Neill and Talin? Show our world how mentally unbalanced Talin actually was."

"The cameras were running?" Daniel asked, his face paling.

"Everywhere, even the bathroom. With the cameras rolling, the tide turned and audience began to root for SG1 and Dr. Fraiser to return home, away from Talin the madman, away from here, back to where they belong. The military will get the backing of the people if we assist you home. The cameras are rolling now, in the gate room, just waiting for me to give the order to enter the symbols for earth. Then you will... what's the saying? 'Ride off into the sunset?'"

Jack had a bad feeling about this... about this being too easy, but at this point, there was no way out. They were prisoners on this planet, just without the walls and bars... and they were being given an opportunity to leave, hopefully safely.

"Leske. What about her? What about Markhen?" Daniel asked. "Jack...no one..."

"I know Daniel, no one gets left behind."

Ronar turned to Leske and Markhen. "I'm sorry for what had to be done before, the decision to stay or go is yours. Though I will say that the military is in dire need of your expertise."

The indecision was evident on their faces. "I cannot speak for Markhen, but this is my planet, my world. I need...I want to stay here to see things through," Leske replied with confidence. She then turned to look over at Markhen, who was staring pensively into space, chewing on the inside of his lip. "Markhen?" she asked, getting his attention. He jumped a bit and looked at her, taking a step toward her to whisper something in her ear, all the while glancing warily at Ronar.

"Leske, we can't stay!" Markhen whispered, his voice tense. Leske's small smile began to fade and she grabbed his arm. She followed his line of sight to Ronar's hard face and leaned back toward her friend.

"Why?" she whispered harshly, pulling him a few steps away from the group. "Excuse us, for just a moment," she said hurriedly and louder for Ronar's benefit. He nodded. Markhen continued.

"Leske, we know all about what happened here. We know too much...we can go to the public with our knowledge. We're not military... he doesn't need us for anything. I mean, he has been lying to us all along." He glanced over at the Base Commander once more, for emphasis. Leske did the same, sighing.

"You're right, Markhen. You know, you're too smart for your own good," she said, giving him a weak smile and resting her hand on his shoulder. They walked back over to Ronar and SG1. "Ronar, Markhen and I have decided to go back to Earth with SG1. If that's alright with you, of course, Colonel," she said.

Jack smiled. "The more the merrier. Be glad to have you both along." Leske and Markhen smiled their thanks.

"Fine," said Ronar, moving toward the dialing console. Sam made a none-too-subtle move to watch him dial, making sure he had the right coordinates before following the rest of their group into the gateroom.

The seven tired people walked through the door and into the huge room housing the two-story stone ring just as the event horizon settled back into it's hypnotic blue pool and assembled at the bottom of the ramp.

Jack sighed contentedly as he looked over at Daniel, who was carefully punching the IDC into his GDO. It beeped back at him and Daniel looked over and nodded to his friend. Jack smiled and gestured grandly toward the gate. "Let's go, kids. Earth awaits."

Carter smiled at him and took the first steps toward the event horizon, followed closely by Janet and Teal'c. Leske took one last look up into the control room and moved up the ramp, as well, Markhen a step behind. Jack sauntered over to Daniel and clasped his shoulder, urging him on.

In the control room, Ronar sighed, as he fingered the communicator in his hand. He frowned and cursed his superiors. And Markhen. He just *had* to convince Leske to leave. If they'd stayed, things would have been different, but now... now they were a security risk... and he had to follow his orders.

Jack and Daniel had taken about two steps, when Jack heard the familiar sound of the blast doors on either side of the room opening. He spun around only to see several well-armed men flooding into the room. He also caught a glimpse of Ronar frowning harshly at him. Jack suddenly realized with sickening clarity that Ronar had little to no intention of sending them home. Instead, he'd gotten them all in one place, huddled together on the ramp. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

In the same split second, Ronar spoke a calm "fire" into the microphone in front of him, and Jack shouted a panicked "run!" The group on the ramp collectively turned their heads and ducked as several alien projectiles missed their marks.

Reflexively, Carter grabbed Janet's jacket and hauled her through the Stargate, Teal'c on their heels. Leske did the same, gritting her teeth and grabbing Markhen's shirt, running headlong after them. Jack and Daniel ducked low and scrambled to the gate, stumbling every few steps, trying to dodge the bullets whizzing by. Then finally, after a slow-motion eternity, Jack felt the stinging cold of the wormhole.

* * *

Leske stumbled as she was propelled out of the wormhole, her legs stinging from the hard impact on the ramp. Her hand was still tightly gripping the shoulder of Markhen's shirt as he panted loudly beside her. "Markhen? You okay?" she asked, turning him to face her as Jack and Daniel rolled out onto the ramp. Markhen nodded, with a slight smile.

"Close the Iris!" Sam yelled, and Leske sighed in relief as the trinium barrier slid into place over the event horizon, effectively closing the door on her past. The blast door to their left slid open as the wormhole disengaged, and General Hammond walked into the gateroom, barely containing his grin. He waved his hand in a silent order for the SF's to stand down, and let his eyes roam over his lost children, taking in every detail as they plodded wearily down the ramp.

When he got to Markhen, however, his eyes widened, and Leske felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle with unease. Something was wrong. She frowned and stared into Hammond's eyes, then followed his line of sight to a growing stain on Markhen's shirt. The blue fabric just below his sternum was turning a vibrant shade of purple. Leske gasped and caught him just as his legs gave out.

"Oh my God," Janet breathed as Leske eased the young man to the cold concrete floor. "Get a med team in here, now!" Janet shouted up to the control room and rushed over to Markhen's side. She knelt down and pulled his shirt up, unveiling an ugly looking hole in his abdomen

Leske fought back a wave of hot tears as her emotions twisted between anger and grief. She bit back a sob as she felt Markhen's hand brush against her own, finding her, and then grasp it tightly. Like her hand was a lifeline to keep him on the ground. He stared up at her, trying to smile, and Leske winced as she tasted a salty tear on her lips.

All around her, people were hustling about. The blast door had re-opened and a medical team barged in. Janet was taking Markhen's pulse and Sam was applying pressure to his wound. Leske was also vaguely aware of Daniel's hand on her shoulder, but in an instant, her universe had narrowed itself to include only Markhen and herself, to allow her to feel only the pressure of his hand grasping hers and the tracks that her tears made as they fell slowly down her cheeks.

"Don't be sad, Les. I finally did something important with my life," he said, with surprisingly strong inflection and a genuine smile. Leske tried to smile back, but could only manage a sniffle and a squeeze of his hand.

"Yes you did, Markhen. You did something very important, and I'm so proud of you," she said.

"Too bad Dad wasn't there to see it," Markhen breathed.

"I'm sure he knew, baby. He was always proud of you," Leske whispered back. Daniel's hand tightened on her shoulder. Markhen nodded and his eyes began to roll back.

"Let's get him on the gurney, people!" Janet shouted as a group of medics elbowed their way in closer to the patient. Daniel gently pulled Leske away, and Markhen's hand fell limply away from hers as the EMT's lifted the lifeless body onto the gurney.

"Doctor, I've lost the pulse!" one of the nurses shouted. Janet and Leske's eyes widened in perfect synch.

"Charge the paddles and get me a heart needle with adrenaline..." Janet ordered, but trailed off as Leske sunk out of Daniel's grip and stepped toward her, placing her hand on the doctor's shoulder.

"No, Janet. He's already gone," Leske whispered. Janet stared at her, then slowly began nodding her head.

The room was silent and still as the EMTs rolled Markhen through the blast door and Leske finally fell into Daniel's pro-offered arms sobbing for her brother's loss.

* * *

Chapter 20

Mission Report: PX8-904, a.k.a. "Carcel" 

O'Neill, Jonathan. Colonel, U.S.A.F 

Page 24 of 24

Upon our return to Earth through the Stargate, it was discovered that one of the indigenous personnel that had been aiding SG1 and Dr. Fraiser in our escape had been hit by one of the bullets that were fired at us in the gateroom on Carcel. The wound proved fatal, and the young man, Markhen, was declared deceased upon his arrival to the infirmary.

Leske has been granted asylum by the United States government and has been offered a position within the SGC, which, to my knowledge, she has accepted on a trial basis.

During my post-mission examination, the neurofilter device embedded in my brain was deactivated, and I am assured by both Leske and Dr. Fraiser, that the device is, in fact, inactive, and being absorbed into my brain tissue. It has been confirmed that the devices implanted in Major Carter, Dr. Jackson, and Teal'c, are also inactive and being absorbed. All four members of SG1 have been cleared for active duty and, as no team was designated SG1 in our absence, General Hammond has requested that we resume our former positions as soon as we

Jack stared at the blinking cursor on his screen as he took a sip of the bitter, cold coffee. As soon as we what? Get settled back into our old lives? Feel up to it? Have managed to convince ourselves that we're really home? That all the security cameras all over the place aren't broadcasting our every move to a drooling public?

Jack sighed and took his frustration out on the keyboard, pressing down and holding the delete key, clearing the entire page he'd just typed. Nothing he could put into a report would even come close to what he felt had happened.

* * *

Daniel stood surveying the mess in his office. Pieces of the smashed security cameras still littered the floor. The desk was overflowing with books he had extricated from the shelves.

"I thought Janet told you to rest."

"Hi Sam," Daniel replied, without turning around. He walked around the desk and started to restore the books to their appropriate placement on the shelves.

"Daniel," Sam called with a little more force than she'd intended. Daniel faced Sam still clutching a wayward volume in his arms. He looked exhausted, but he rewarded Sam with a smile that she hadn't seen for some time. "We're home."

She stepped forward to grab his elbow as he began to sway. Daniel didn't protest when Sam pulled the book from his grasp and lead him to the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes immediately. Sam gently placed herself next to Daniel, leaning into him.

"Thank you, Daniel," she whispered. When no response was forthcoming, she believed that sleep had finally claimed the good doctor. Yawning, she realized that she, too, should be sleeping, but she couldn't bring herself to leave Daniel's side. The heartache she experienced when those monitors confirmed his death was still fresh in her mind.

She jumped when Daniel asked, "Why are you thanking me, Sam?"

"A lot of things Daniel." Sam linked her hands around Daniel's upper arm and hugged. "For coming back for me...for *us*."

He turned to her with sleepy eyes, a serious expressions on his face. "No one ever gets left behind...no one." He seemed annoyed that she would even infer that he wouldn't go back for them. His facial expression shifted to one of resignation. "Sorry. Actually, if Leske hadn't come to earth...I don't know how I would have..."

"Daniel, you would have. You would have found a way. I know you."

He squeezed her hand in response. "You saved my life, Daniel. If you hadn't come when you did, I would..." The hitch in her voice caused Daniel to turn and gather Sam in his arms.

"You wouldn't have." He murmured into her hair. Pulling her away from him he forced eye contact with her. "That wasn't you...it was Talin. And you saved yourself Sam. You fought through it and *believed* in what I was trying to tell you." He wiped a stray tear from her eye and leaned back against the couch with a finality. "It's over, we're home...as soon as we are... " Daniel fished for the correct word.

"I don't think it is going to be that easy, Daniel."

Daniel and Sam jumped at the Colonel's words. "Come on in Jack." The colonel pushed himself off the doorframe of Daniel's office, pulled over a chair, positioned it in front of half of his team and sat down.

"Daniel, I just came from Dr. Fraiser. Kinda surprised to find you here and not *there*. The doc agreed to release you as long as you stayed here and slept... *sleep* being the operative word Daniel. I will say, she was a little testy. I'm hoping it was just from the staff weapon and not some residual effect of gate travel with her, but I believe she was rather insistent in the 'Daniel better be laying down, Daniel better be sleeping' department."

"I'm fine Jack."

"'I'm fine' is not a slight swelling from that... neurofilter thingy in your head. 'I'm fine' is not puking your guts up on Janet not once, but *twice*, in the infirmary during your exam. And 'I'm fine' does not include ordering your CO to shoot you, Daniel."

"Sir?" Carter turned incredulous eyes on the Colonel.

"Talin made us all do things we didn't want to do, Sam." Daniel said gently. "And say things we didn't want to say. I'm sorry, Jack." Daniel hung his head in embarrassment.

Jack leaned forward and placed a hand on Daniel's leg patting it gently. Daniel tentatively raised his eyes. "Daniel, I'm not looking for an apology. God knows we're going to be doing enough of that. We're home...the rest will fall into place, eventually."

Daniel couldn't echo Jack smile. "People we met...never existed. Cultures, lives, planets, experiences..." Daniel's eyes took on a look of panic. "I know I said it before....but what if we aren't home? What if this is another of Talin's..." Daniel attempted to get off the couch but Jack promptly pushed him gently down.

"We're home, Daniel. Feel it. It feels different. Thinking back...in the Environment some things were a little off..."

"The cameras," Sam answered.

"I got one, the Fruit Loops were a little off. They stayed crunchy too long. Here they're soggy in a matter of seconds."

"Coffee." Daniel mumbled.

"O'Malley's, Sir. We went back and ate at O'Malley's. I still don't think they would let us in there."

"You went to O'Malley's without me?" Daniel asked. A look of hurt moved over his face. "When? Why?"

"After the last mission. After you ascended." Jack refused to meet the younger man's glare.

"Ohh," Daniel replied with a grim nod. " And *we* were off."

"Huh? Daniel, care to clarify that?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"We were off. We didn't like each other. I didn't like you, Jack. Could barely tolerate..."

"I chose sides against my team mates. My friends. I'm sorry, Daniel."

"I, too, wronged my fellow teammates."

"Come in, Teal'c." Daniel motioned for the Jaffa to enter his office.

"Teal'c join the party. Pull over a chair."

"O'Neill, there is no party here."

With a wave of dismissal Jack questioned, "How did you wrong anyone, Teal'c?"

"By way of apathy, O'Neill. I saw what was going on and did nothing. As well, my personal interests with the Jaffa threatened to ..."

Jack tuned out the rest of Teal'c's guilt trip. Actually they all had an express ticket for the guilt train. Thinking back, believing that just stepping through the Stargate and returning to earth would be the solution, was very short sighted. SG1's confidence in themselves and their ability to function as a team were going to have to be rebuilt over time.

Daniel faded as they continued to talk. Sam released Daniel's hold on her hand and helped the Colonel stretch him out on the couch. Covering him with the blanket, Sam and Teal'c followed the Colonel to the door.

"Commissary....bad food...blue Jell-o? Carter, Teal'c, ya with me?" Teal'c bowed in acknowledgment.

"Lead the way, sir."

The commissary was the wrong place to be. Jack realized that as soon as they sat down. People meant well, coming over and extending their welcome, but their well-wishes only succeeded in tightening his already fraught nerves. He caught himself sending furtive glances towards the ceiling mounted security cameras, wondering with regard to his own sanity until he saw Carter and Teal'c doing the same thing.

"They were always there, right sir?"

"They were always there. I promise you, Carter..."

Sam's spoon hit the table with a loud clatter. His words evoked recent memories from before the Colonel's mission with her father...not her father ...and Teal'c. Not a mission. Before they were captured by the Jaffa...not the Jaffa. Before she put the gun to her...

"Carter."

"MajorCarter," Teal'c and the Colonel said simultaneously.

"Sorry, sir. Kinda drifted for a moment." She pushed the tray away, the sight of the Jell-o suddenly nauseating her. "I think I'm done here." Sam stood.

"Me too. Teal'c?"

"As am I."

* * *

Hours later found them in various stages of sleep in Daniel's office. Teal'c was in Kel-no-reem on the floor by the foot of the couch, Sam had curled herself into a tight ball at the opposite end of Daniel's couch, sharing the blanket. The Colonel was asleep in the chair, feet on the couch under the blanket, snoring loudly. Daniel's sudden moaning and thrashing brought Jack and Sam to attention.

Jack stiffly leaned over, his body protesting the hours spent in an uncomfortable chair. Shaking Daniel's shoulder, he tried to get through to his sleeping friend. "Daniel wake up. Danny...it's just a nightmare."

"Hands hurt...burn," Daniel answered, attempting to tuck his hands under his sleeping form, still in the throes of the nightmare.

Sam shot the Colonel a concerned look. She cautiously took one of Daniel hands only to have Daniel yell..."No. Don't touch me...radiation on the planet...on me...in me, not safe for you."

"Daniel!" the Colonel shook Daniel vigorously, frightened as to where this nightmare was heading. He grabbed Daniel's hands forcefully holding on as Daniel fought him mumbling the words, "Radiation, bomb. Don't touch."

Jack gave Daniel's hands a tug, and the younger man opened his eyes with a sharp intake of breath. Daniel shot up attempting to disengage his hands from Jack's grasp. "Don't Jack....I'm..."

"You're having a nightmare, Daniel." Sam smiled at the confused expression adorning Daniel's face.

Daniel yawned, Janet's medication not yet releasing him from its grasp. He slid back down into the couch and Sam covered him with the blanket. Daniel whispered one word before sleep claimed him again. "Over?"

Jack smiled and adjusted the blanket over his feet and Daniel's shoulder. Before Sam claimed her designated position on the couch, she asked her CO one question. She knew the answer, she just wanted to hear it from him. "It's not really over yet, is it, Sir? Everything that happened... Even though we are home, it's not over."

Jack closed his eyes as he again tried to make himself comfortable on the unforgiving chair. "Get some rest Carter. And no, it's not over... yet. But we, all of us... we'll get there."

* * *

Leske stood just outside the slightly ajar door of Daniel's office, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. She'd been standing there long enough to have heard Daniel's nightmare, to have heard the uncertainty and hurt in Sam and Jack's voices. And she was sorry, so deeply sorry for what had happened to them. She felt such deep regret when Daniel started reliving his 'death' in his sleep. That had been her. She'd put those images in his mind... she had known that Daniel would attempt to save the planet with no regard to his life...she had designed the whole situation. It was all her fault.

She sniffed back a lump in her throat and laughed ruefully as she turned to make her way back to the VIP quarters. As she turned, however, she came face to neck with General Hammond, startling her enough to make her jump. Hammond smiled a bit and nodded toward the door as Leske brought herself back under control.

"How are they?" he asked quietly, motioning her to follow him down the corridor. She glanced over her shoulder and shrugged.

"Um... *tired*," she replied, smiling a bit. "They're all in there sleeping. Or trying to anyway. Daniel had a nightmare and woke them all up..." She trailed off. They both knew where any nightmares would be stemming from without further discussion. They both knew what kind of impact recent events would have on the team. General Hammond nodded and they walked slowly through the dim halls in silence for a few paces.

"General? It's, um... Well, it's really late. What are you still doing here, sir? If I may ask?" Leske began in a tentative voice. Hammond chuckled.

"Well, I guess I just couldn't bring myself to leave. It's not like there's anything waiting for me at home, anyway."

"They know you really well," Leske sighed, her eyes dropping to the floor in front of her. Hammond shot her an inquisitive glance.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... I guess I just can't get over how... I don't know... *accurate* our 'you' was. The more time I spent here, the more I noticed just how perfect... They just... must know you really well, is all," she stuttered, not really knowing how to explain.

"Everything you built there was taken from their memories," Hammond finished, accommodating the woman's unease. She smiled thankfully and nodded.

Hammond led them to the elevators and pressed the 'up' button. Surprisingly enough, the door immediately slid open and the General directed Leske in and she complied.

"Sam and Jack had a big argument in this elevator," Leske said quietly as the doors closed behind them. She'd found herself looking at everything in the SGC that way ever since their return, trying to see things the way she was sure SG1 must be seeing things... trying to make herself suffer like they must be.

"Hmm?" Hammond prodded, not quite hearing what she'd said. Leske shook her head dismissively.

"Oh, it's nothing, Sir," she replied, and went for the subject change. "Where are we going?"

"Midnight snack," the General replied as the elevator doors opened. They both stepped out.

"Midnight... oh. But the commissary's closed..."

Hammond smiled broadly. "Not for Generals." Hammond pushed the swinging door of the commissary open and found a light switch on the wall. He flicked it, and the string of emergency lights flickered on. "Want a sandwich?" he asked over his shoulder as Leske just stood in the doorway and stared at him. She shook her head.

"Um... no, thanks. I'm not really hungry," she replied. He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Have a seat somewhere, I'll just be a minute," he shouted from the kitchen. Leske smiled and sat down at one of the empty tables, a little confused as to what was going on. Tired, she folded her arms atop the table and rested her head. Closing her eyes, she suddenly remembered why she had given up on trying to sleep. All she could see was Markhen as he keeled over, his shirt soaked in blood. She had given him that shirt...

"Tired?" came a voice from outside her subconscious mind. She jerked her head up and was surprised to see the General setting his plate down on the table.

"I, uh... must have dozed off for a second. Sorry," she replied, yawning and rubbing her eyes. He nodded and sat down, taking a deep breath.

"Leske, I didn't come here just for the sandwich," Hammond began, followed by a large bite of turkey on wheat. Leske smiled.

"I'd never have guessed," she said dryly. Hammond nodded as he chewed and swallowed.

"Truth is," he continued, "I'd rather not have to put SG1 through a debriefing that will no doubt be very hard on them. Of course, I will have to get the basics, but I was hoping that maybe *you* could fill me in on some of the finer points of the situation."

"So," she asked warily, "this is a debriefing. Or maybe an interrogation?"

Stunned, Hammond shook his head emphatically. "No, no. Not at all. I just wanted to know what happened. Leske, I want you to understand something. What you did... it was a very brave and selfless act. You put yourself and your brother on the line for a group of strangers. We're all very grateful for what you did, and you are most welcome to stay here. In fact, I was also wanted to make sure you were still going to take that job I offered you."

"Well, Sir, I..." Leske's eyes widened. "H-how did you know?" she asked.

"Know what?" the General replied in an innocent, sandwich-muffled voice. Leske rolled her eyes.

"That Markhen was my brother." Hammond nodded and wiped his mouth off with his napkin.

"You look just like each other. It wasn't really hard to tell. That, and your reaction when he... Leske, I really am sorry for what happened. You must miss him very much," he replied, sincerely. Leske hugged herself and dropped her gaze to the table.

"I do. And thank you, General. You know," she continued, her eyes lighting up, "this was all his idea."

"How so?"

"Well... As important and wonderful as they are, this didn't start out being about SG1 at all." Leske folded her hands on the table and leaned in.

"What *was* it about?" Hammond responded, mirroring her stance.

"Talin... and our father. Talin may have been the front man, so to speak, but our dad was the brains behind the whole thing. It was his project. He *designed* it. The Environment, the control center, the concept. It was his. But Talin was the one who turned it into a phenomenon. Understand that it was never meant to be a venue for entertainment. Dad was in the Planetary Defense Corps. After our people discovered the Stargate and what it did, Dad was asked to design a way to defend ourselves against any potentially dangerous incoming travelers. What he came up with turned out to be, not only an extremely effective defense mechanism, but a way to be able to study visitors to determine what threat they could be or what we could learn from them.

After a while, though, our government lost interest in it as a military operation and transferred control of the project over to Talin, allowing only a small military contingent to remain active in operating the Stargate. Dad's accomplishments were ignored and he was relegated to a programming job under the guise of having the distinguished position of 'liaison officer.'" Leske spoke the words with sarcasm and contempt. Hammond nodded silently, sandwich forgotten on his plate, and Leske continued.

"Dad had already earned the respect of almost everyone involved by then, though, and when Talin took over, Dad spoke out against him and his methods... and people listened. Talin may have been insane, but he was by no means stupid. He recognized our father for the threat he was, and turned it into an opportunity to win the respect... or should I say *fear* of those who worked for him. There's no proof, of course, but everyone knew... It was just after I had worked my way into a technical advisory position. I'd just started there, and he didn't know who I was yet... a few months before SG1 came through the Gate. There was a malfunction in the Environment... one that my father was the most qualified to fix. The safety protocols should have been on, but they weren't. There was an accident, and he was killed."

"I'm sorry."

Leske smiled. "It's not your fault." She paused. "Markhen was beside himself. And so was I, I suppose, but I was more into denial than taking action. But Markhen convinced me that something had to be done, and the longer I watched SG1, the more I started to agree with him. When I was promoted, I gave Markhen a job and we started planning Talin's downfall. Truth be told, General, SG1 were just going to be pawns. We were going to use them... their consciousness of their situation and their escape would ruin Talin.

"Ronar was a close friend of our family for as long as I can remember, so we asked for his help, along with some others. Not everyone was eager to help, but they kept their mouths shut. Everyone knew what Talin was capable of, and people were afraid. But by six months through SG1's stay on Carcel, we had managed to pull a few good people together and had a plan in the works.

"Markhen didn't want to wait. He wanted to act as soon as possible. Talin was getting trigger-happy with the neurofilters and Markhen hated it. It got personal for him. It did for a lot of us. General, the things he put them through... no one deserved that. Especially not them. And then when Talin had Daniel killed off...ascended... It was the last straw. We had to go." Leske shrugged and sighed. "The rest you kind of know."

"Why didn't you bring any of this up sooner? It would have probably gone a long way in getting us to trust you if you'd just laid everything out right off the bat, you know," Hammond said.

Leske took a deep breath. "Honestly, General, I didn't think it was important. I had my goal and that was all. I'm not military... hmph... Jack would call me a geek, I'm sure. I never in a million years thought I'd do something like this. Never. I know I screwed up, Sir, but I did try. I really did try my best," she pleaded.

"I know. Now. Under the circumstances, I think you did very well. You saved their lives... And of course, now you'll know better for next time."

"Next time?"

"You do intend to stay, don't you?" Hammond asked her.

"Uh... of course. Yes, Sir."

"Then you'll have to start learning how we do things around here. The *real* here." Hammond said, rising to clear his plate. Leske stood up as well, following him into the kitchen. "And you'll need a last name, of course. And a birth certificate, high school diploma, social security number..." He turned to look at her. "Do you have any idea how much paperwork it takes to fabricate an identity?" He smiled as he rinsed his plate and set it back on one of the stacks on the shelf.

"No, sir. No idea at all." She smiled back.

They turned the lights off and left the large, empty room. The pair stopped just outside the double doors.

"Sir? Could I ask you a favor?" Leske said as the General turned to leave.

"What's that?"

"Don't tell anyone about Markhen. If they knew he was my brother... I don't want them to feel any worse than they already do."

Hammond nodded. "Understood." They both turned around again, poised to go their separate ways, when the General looked back.

"Welcome to the SGC, Leske Markhen," he said. She turned around, her jaw dropping to the ground. Hammond smiled at her reaction and moved to continue walking, when another idea struck him.

"Have you ever been to Toronto?" he asked.

Leske smiled.

* * *

Chapter 21

Jack had awoken very early in the morning from his cramped position in Daniel's lab to find Carter and Daniel still asleep on the couch. Teal'c was sitting as still as a statue on the floor in his continuing state of Kel-no-reem. With caution, as not to awaken Daniel and Sam, Jack uncovered his feet and readjusted the blanket around their sleeping bodies. Stiffly, he bent over to retrieve his shoes, not even bothering to put them on. Tiptoeing out of the lab, he halted as he heard a muffled, "Morning, Jack."

Jack turned with his fingers on his lips. "Ssshh, Daniel." Daniel maneuvered his head to take in Sam's position on the couch and Teal'c's on the floor.

"Ssshhh," Daniel replied sleepily, followed by a yawn. Daniel pulled the blanket up around his shoulders, adjusted his pillow and closed his eyes. Jack shook his head, scrubbing his face to hide the prickling behind his eyes. Jack's heart swelled with the joy that SG1 was back home, together in the truest sense of the word, pride that his team had withstood the past twelve months, and fear of the uphill battle they now faced.

Jack did the military 'shit, shower and shave' routine and soon found himself in his office. Placing his coffee cup on the desk, taking a seat on his old reliable chair, he took a moment to look around the small room. It was the same office he'd always had, but now it was full of open boxes and file folders. Various knickknacks and old mission reports littered the floor. His office had been packed away after a couple months, and airmen had been bringing in armfuls of stuff up from storage since last night.

Jack was not looking forward to cleaning up, and couldn't help but wonder why Daniel's office and Carter's lab were left pristine. Probably had stuff in there that was actually useful to other people. The entire Anthropology and Linguistics department had probably circulated a petition to turn Daniel's office into a lending library.

He slowly got up out of his chair and walked over to one of the boxes on the other side of the room. He opened it, trying to remember if he had the right one. Jack smiled as he saw what he was looking for lying right on top. A framed, old-looking sepia photograph that Cassie had taken a long time ago.

Jack picked it up and brushed some dust off the glass, before hanging it back up. He'd just finished when he heard a voice in the doorway behind him.

"I always thought it'd look better behind the desk."

Jack turned to see Daniel, Carter, and Teal'c standing in the doorway. He waved them in. "Excuse the mess, guys. Unlike some peoples' personal property," he threw a look at Carter and Daniel, "my stuff was all packed up and carted off to gather dust somewhere." Sam and Daniel rolled their eyes and sat down on the edge of Jack's desk. Daniel took a sip from the mug he was holding and Sam set her cup down on the edge of the desk.

"So... anybody know how Leske's doing?" Jack asked, as he eased back into his chair.

Daniel put up a finger as he swallowed a particularly large gulp of coffee. "Actually, yes. We saw her in the commissary this morning. She's, uh, she says she's doing fine. She knew Markhen... uh, very well, and she honestly believes that he died a hero. She's so proud of him. She wants to honor his memory instead of grieve it."

"And she's taking the job General Hammond offered her," Sam added. "She's amazing everyone with how much she already knows. She's been working with recreations of the SGC's computers for so long, they're almost like second nature to her."

"And how are we?" Jack asked, dead serious, for once. His teammates stared silently at him for a moment, before glancing at each other. Jack eyed each of his friends in turn, mentally taking bets with himself as to who would be the first one to open his or her mouth. It turned out to be Teal'c.

"I believe we have been given a rare opportunity, O'Neill," he said. Jack, Sam, and Daniel looked over at him, standing beside the desk.

"How so, Teal'c," asked Daniel sincerely, crossing his arms around his chest and leaning back. Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

"We have been given the opportunity to see what might have been, Daniel Jackson. We have made mistakes and seen the outcomes of our decisions. I believe the phrase, 'you do not know what you have until you have lost it' is appropriate to apply."

"It's like somebody hit the reset button," added Sam, drawing the other's attention. "And we'll never make the same mistakes again," she finished softly and deliberately, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"No, we won't," Jack added, looking directly at Daniel. He nodded back, getting the message and returning a small smile. The group remained silent for a moment, each reflecting on the whole 'new start' concept, before Daniel opened his mouth again. The kid had definitely not changed.

Jack smiled and zoned out the conversation Daniel had initiated with Carter concerning the condition of her lab, and his eyes began to roam, drifting to rest on a large, rolled-up piece of paper. Uh-oh. He'd forgotten about that when his team walked in. Very slowly, Jack reached an arm out to grab the paper and nonchalantly hide it under his desk while Carter and Daniel continued to jabber on about nothing, but apparently, Teal'c was as bored with their conversation as he was. In a calculated move, Teal'c eyed him, and grabbed the object just before Jack could.

"What is this, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, the picture of innocence.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. No need to look at that, Teal'c, really," he replied, trying to muster an iota of smoothness. Teal'c seemed to buy it, and was about to place it back down on the desk, when Daniel sneaked his arm in and snatched it away, standing up and out of Jack's reach.

"Dammit, Daniel! Give that back!" Jack shouted, standing up. Daniel was grinning from ear to ear and Carter was no better. Even Teal'c was sporting the slightest of smirks.

"No, Jack. Teal'c asked you a question, and I think it's valid… what is it, Jack?" Daniel taunted as Jack moved around the desk to tackle the soon-to-be-dead archeologist. Carter gracefully stepped between them and put a halting hand on Jack's chest.

"Well, Colonel. You've got to admit… Daniel has a point. You never answered Teal'c's question," she said, playfully. Moving to counter his attempts to step around her.

"It's… it's just... a, uh... a souvenir. That's all. A souvenir. Daniel! Don't you dare open that! Don't you-" Jack clamped his mouth shut as Daniel's jaw dropped and eyes widened. He'd opened it. Unrolled it to behold its full majesty. Carter, tired of playing monkey in the middle, joined Daniel and Teal'c in staring at it. Her smile grew to monolithic proportions. Jack groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

"A souvenir, huh? Jack... I, uh... I don't really know what to say... This is what you went back for?" Daniel stuttered, trying valiantly to suppress a laugh and failing.

"Well, it's you sir. It's definitely... you," added Carter. Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. You know, Carter, I could have grabbed one of those Barbie Dolls in BDU's, but I do have a shred of decency, unlike some people," said Jack, but that just made her and Daniel start laughing really hard.

The poster that was providing such rousing entertainment for his teammates really *was* just a souvenir. After all, who was he to question it if that 'drooling public' had deemed him worthy of the title, 'Sexiest Man Alive?'


End file.
